


Mischief, Meet Your  Match *Completed*

by The_Sad_Hatter



Series: The Mischief Verse [1]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adventures In Space, Denial of Feelings, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fighting, Flirting, He's not the bad guy either really, Kidnapping, Loki Needs a Hug, Loki is a sassmaster, Loki's not the good guy, Mischief aplenty, Mutual Attraction, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Compliant, Reader does what she wants, Reader is a sassy little shit, Reader is a slut for space, Smut, Steve is a concerned parent, Thor wants to bang everybody's heads together, so much pining, steve needs a drink, the slowest of slow burns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-05-18 06:58:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 124,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19329451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Sad_Hatter/pseuds/The_Sad_Hatter
Summary: Being caught in the cross hairs of The God of Mischief would scare a saner person but not you, you enjoy it. There’s just something about Loki that draws you to him, and you couldn’t help it even if you wanted to. Tricking the Trickster is exhilarating but you quickly find yourself becoming attached to him as you’re unwillingly dragged on the adventure of a lifetime.While The Avengers race to get you out of Loki’s clutches, you find yourself teaming up with him to try and defeat an enemy who threatens everything you hold dear.When you’re tangled up with the God of Chaos, there’s no way of winning and it’s anyone’s guess which you’ll lose first, your heart or your life?***Updated Daily***





	1. Meet and Greet

The first time you’d met the God of Mischief and Lies it had been in a fight. Strange and Thor had informed you all that Loki was back on earth and up to no good. That was all The Avengers needed to hear before they suited up and trekked off to capture the dark god.

 

Somehow, probably because of your awful luck, you ended up in a one on one fight with Loki. He’d managed to blast Steve back into a troupe of his alien allies and you didn’t waste a second to take Steve’s place in the battle, springing onto Loki’s shoulders and wrapping your thighs around his neck just like Nat had taught you.

 

“Normally, I’d introduce myself before we got this far but I’ll make an exception for you sweetheart.” You huffed as Loki tried to prise you off of him.

 

“Stop flirting with the Alien psychopath who tried to conquer the planet!” Sam snapped at you through the comms.

 

Loki grabbed the back of your tactical suit, fisting the tight material and literally dragging you of off him, throwing you several feet away. He slowly strutted over to you, sneering at you.

 

“I was intrigued about the new members of the Avengers but I see they are just as pathetic as the originals.” He said cruelly.

 

“I wouldn’t say that.” You smirked, like you knew something he didn’t.

 

There was a brief second of confusion and suspicion from Loki before a shadow passed over him and he looked up too late as Sam swept down and kicked him in the chest, sending him sprawling on the ground next to you. You pointed a gun at him but he almost absentmindedly pushed your arm up, making you accidentally shoot at Sam. The bullet hit his wings and Sam swore loudly as he spiralled to the ground in a painful sounding crash.

 

“Sorry sweetie!” You yelled.  

 

Your attention was diverted and you only just managed to move your head out of the way before a knife was imbedded in the ground where your skull had been only half a second prior.

 

“Harsh!” You told him, offended.

 

He smirked and opened his mouth to make a biting remark but you leaned back on your elbows, putting your weight on them and pushing your legs up, twisting around in the air to kick Loki in the face. His head snapped back and a trickle of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

 

“Harsh.” He rebutted and backhanded you.

 

The blow was excruciating and sent you slamming back into the dirt, facedown this time. You pushed yourself up, ears still ringing as you desperately fumbled at your belt for a weapon, making pained noises. Loki wasn’t aware you could see his shadow on the ground in front of you, or that you had enhanced healing abilities. You saw the shadow of the knife in his hand as he plunged it towards your back. You twisted around, catching his wrist in mid thrust and snapping the cuff around it, simultaneously wrapping your legs around his waist so that your momentum carried you both to the ground, leaving him in the dirt this time and allowing you to snap the cuff on his other wrist.

 

He looked down at his wrists and frowned when he obviously realised they were inhibiting his magic. You scoffed and he looked up at you, noting how remarkably unharmed you were.

 

“You fooled me.” He said, sounding half annoyed, half, impressed.

 

“Oh but woe is me, I am but a weak mortal woman.” You said dramatically, putting your hand to your forehead and swooning dramatically.

 

“At least you can admit it.” He sneered.

 

You pulled your hand away from your head and straightened up, throwing a concerned look at him.

 

“Mischief, do you not know what sarcasm is?” You asked with faux worry.

 

“Of course I do.” He hissed.

 

“It’s ok to admit when you don’t know something, I won’t laugh at you.” You assured him kindly, though your expression was anything but.

 

“I know what sarcasm is brat, and when I free myself from these bindings I assure you, I will laugh when I make you pay for daring to challenge me.” He said flatly.

 

“Sounds kinky.” You sniggered.

 

He grinned salaciously at you when he realised you were literally straddling him.

 

“This is the second time in as many minutes that you have wrapped your legs around me. Is it possible that the Midgardians don’t hate me as much as I have been led to believe?” He asked with a wicked grin.

 

“What can I say, you’re pretty, egotistical and an asshole. You’re just my type.” You quipped.

 

Sam stomped over to you and you both looked up at him with innocent expressions.

 

“Stop. Flirting. With. The. Homicidal. Maniac.” He demanded.

 

“Make me.” You challenged as you stood up, pulling Loki to his feet.

 

“So possessive, so controlling. Does it really bother you so much to see her fawn over me?” Loki taunted.

 

“Speaking of fawning, Thor was right. He really did fall for your ‘charms’.” Sam said smugly, turning to you.

 

Loki looked between the two of you, puzzling it out.

 

“Aww come on Mischief, why did you think they gave _me_ the magical handcuffs?” You asked him, flicking them pointedly.

 

Thor hadn’t actually said anything like that, he had said Loki would underestimate you because he didn’t know you and you were a mortal.

 

Loki didn’t need to know that though… He also didn’t need to know that you weren’t the only one carrying a pair of magical handcuffs on your person.

 

You were really glad he had the cuffs on because the look he was giving you promised death, a slow and painful one. Abruptly he blinked and the fury was gone, replaced by a charming, flirtatious smile.

 

“My brother was bound to be right about something eventually.” He practically purred.

 

“Don’t.” Sam warned as you opened your mouth to reply.

 

“Quit cockblocking me birdie.” You huffed.

 

“Better behave kitten, Cap’s coming.” Sam said under his breath.

 

Steve was indeed trekking towards the three of you and you guessed that meant he and the team had taken care of the alien mercenaries Loki had hired.

 

“Good job you two.” He said, nodding at you and Sam. “Thor, we’ve got Loki cuffed.” He said into his comm.

 

“Indeed, and now that you have me cuffed _kitten_ , whatever shall you do with me?” Loki leaned down to whisper in your ear.

 

“Strap you to a rocket and fire you into the sun? Put you in a vat of cement, wait for it to harden and drop it in the ocean?” Sam snapped, having overheard him.

 

“We’ll find a place for him, don’t worry.” Steve said harshly, giving Loki one of the hardest stares you’d seen from Steve before, dragging him away from you.

 

“Bye Mischief.” You waved, almost sadly.

 

You could feel Sam’s disgusted glare burning a hole through your skull.

 

“What?” You asked him innocently.

 

“Stop flirting with the bad guys!” He exclaimed.

 

“But they’re so much more fun.” You pouted.

 

Loki turned his head to look back at you and sent a sly wink your way. More fun by far.


	2. The King Of Hearts

The last time The Avengers had put Loki in a cage, it had been exactly where he had wanted to be. This time they were more careful. Loki was safely ensconced in a glass cube that had been enchanted by Dr Strange to contain the tricksters magic. The cube itself was in an empty, bland warehouse that was highly guarded and miles away from civilisation and the Avengers themselves.

 

It was dull for the first few days until what he guessed was around mid afternoon on the fourth day when the camera’s in every corner of the room that were pointed at his cell all simultaneously beeped and switched off. He looked around the room with curiosity but for at least ten minutes nothing happened.

 

“Hey Mischief.”

 

Loki stilled before he finally, slowly craned his neck to see you casually perched on the top of his cell, wiggling your wingers as you waved happily at him.

 

“Ever notice how they always put the attractive bad guys in glass prisons?” You asked, smirking down at the dark god who looked remarkably unimpressed by your presence.

 

“Have you come to gloat? To taunt me?” He asked coldly.

 

“Nope, I’m here to entertain you.” You said jovially, hopping down to the ground gracefully and holding up a book for him to see before you carefully slid it into the slot where his meal trays were delivered.  

 

“Without the permission of your teammates I see.” He noted, looking pointedly at the camera’s and ignoring the novel.

 

“Better tell them you do whatever the hell you want than ask permission.” You shrugged as you settled on the floor in front of his cell, ignoring the way he towered sinisterly over you through the glass.

 

“Ah, a woman after my own heart.” He teased.

 

“It’s not your heart I’m interested in Mischief.” You rebutted, winking at him.

 

For a brief moment he looked kind of delighted by your quick response, even going so far as to shoot you a blinding smile.

 

You pulled  a deck of cards from your pocket shuffled them.

 

“What are you doing?” He asked and you looked up to see him frowning down at you.

 

“Entertaining you… My options are limited what with you being in a cell and all.” You told him, dealing the cards and slotting his into the metal rim that ran along the edges of the cage, keeping the cube intact.

 

The backs of the cards were facing you so he could see what they were but you couldn’t.

 

“I could think of ways you could… entertain me.” He said in a low voice and you laughed.

 

“Well beggars can’t be choosers. Ace cards can be one or eleven, it’s up to you. Face cards are ten. The goal is to make 21 without going over, go over and you’re bust, you lose. Hit or stick… Want another card or are you happy with what you got?” You gave him the most basic explanation.

 

“I’m happy with what I have.” He said.

 

You shrugged and checked your own cards, managing to make 19 with your Queen of Spades and 9 of diamonds. You turned your cards over first before checking his. King of Spades and Ace of Hearts.

 

“Son of a… did you use your magic?” You demanded.

 

“My magic is contained by this cell.” He reminded you.

 

“Sure Jan.” You muttered under your breath.

 

You got a mischievous smirk on your face and reshuffled the cards.

 

“My magic is intact thankfully… wanna see?” You asked him.

 

“By all means… Impress me.” He smirked down at you like you were a silly child he couldn’t even be bothered placating.

 

“Pick a card, any card but don’t tell me which one you pick.” You ordered, splaying the deck for him to see.

 

He nodded once curtly to show he’d made his decision. You theatrically shuffled the cards one last time before tapping them and revealing the card with a flourish.

 

“Is this your card?” You asked smugly.

 

“No.”

 

Your grin faltered.

 

“Ok fine, Is this… your card?”

 

“No.” He sighed, looking less than impressed.

 

“Come on! Are you lying?” You asked him with a disappointed look.

 

“A fair assumption but again, no. I chose The King Of Hearts. You failed to produce my card twice, so you lose.” He taunted.

 

“It’s your stupid cell, it’s playing havoc with my magic.” You huffed in annoyance and shoved the cards back into your pockets.

 

“Then perhaps you should let me out? We could go somewhere with no interference and make some magic together.” He offered.

 

“I’m not easy Mischief.” You scoffed.

 

“My mistake, I can see how I should have known you were a lady of strong character and morals.” He sassed.

 

The corners of your lips twitched and you leant back on your elbows, sizing him up through the glass.

 

“Why did your friend call you Kitten?” He asked abruptly.

 

“I was this adorable stray that was brought back from a mission and never left. The Avengers adopted me.” You explained with a fond smile.

 

Loki cocked his head, obviously expecting more information so you sighed and gave it to him, remembering the life changing event that had led to you being an Avenger.

_“The serum that made you into a god amongst men is in your blood. This serum we have developed will allow a test subjects body to absorb the characteristics of your blood… if they survive.” The Doctor explained, his clear excitement for the subject bubbling through._

_It made Steve feel sick. He pulled at the restraints pinning him to the operating table but they were strong and he was weak from blood loss as his blood was currently being extracted. He shouldn’t have gotten pulled into this situation but he’d only been given half the information. What was supposed to be a simple rescue mission had blown up in their faces because of secrets he hadn’t been privy to._

_“Bring in Patient Zero.” The Doctor ordered._

_You were dragged in by two dark suited, burly agents, a third trailing behind you with his gun drawn. One of the agents had a split lip and the other had scratch marks on his cheek._

_“Unhand me you fiends!” Yu demanded._

_“The sedatives didn’t calm her down, they just made her loopier.” One of the agents snarled._

_“It matters little, she will likely be dead soon but her corpse will provide us with information about how the serum works when combined with the Captains blood.” The scientist said giddily._

_The second you’d been dragged in, Steve had redoubled his efforts to break free and at the mention of his name your attention was drawn to him._

_“Pleasure to meet you Cap, shame about the circumstances.” You crowed loudly as you were manhandled onto a table like his._

_“Let her go! You don’t have to kill innocents to do this!” Steve yelled._

_“We won’t be using this formula on our people until it’s safer so she should be honoured. Her death will pave the path to a brave new world.” The scientist._

_“Psst, Cap.” You stage whispered._

_Steve turned to look at you._

_“Do all bad guys really talk like B-Movie villains?” You asked._

_“Enough.” The scientist hissed, slapping you across the face._

_“Oh buddy, if I survive this I swear to god I’m going to use the super strength to punch you in the dick.” You vowed._

_“Don’t worr, it is far more likely you will die, this is only a first attempt after all.” He sneered._

_“Captain, if I die punch this guy in the dick for me.” You ordered, twisting your neck so you could look him in the eye._

_There was a tick in his clenched jaw as he regarded you with a stormy gaze before he looked at the tubes that were rapidly pulling his blood from his body. He nodded once, decisively._

_“Yes ma’am.” He agreed to your request._

_What else could he say, he couldn’t promise you would survive or tell you that it was all going to be ok. All he could do was promise that you would be Avenged. You appreciated the assurance._

“You were made into the Captains image through experimental science?” Loki asked with a frown.

 

“Not his image exactly, but internally… kinda. The blood in my veins is the same blood that runs through Steve Rogers veins. He still gets ruffled if I call him dad though.” You sniggered.

 

Loki seemed to take the information in blankly, his face impassive but you could see the way his eyes were looking at you in a new light, reassessing you speculatively.

 

“Of course evil scientists don’t really know their stuff because they failed, epically. I would have died but Dr Banner managed to manipulate the enhanced healing aspect of the serum before I died.  I can heal anything short of a life threatening injury pretty easily.” You explained.

 

“So when I hit you hard enough to discombobulate you…” Loki trailed off.

 

“You’d have to hit me a hell of a lot harder to keep me down.” You scoffed.

 

“Noted.” He said dryly.

 

“Aw Mischief, I thought we were getting along? After I brought you books and games and everything.” You pouted.

 

“If we were truly friends you wouldn’t be keeping me in a cage.” He pointed out.

 

You stood up and smirked at him, leaning into the glass.

 

“I like you Mischief, doesn’t mean I trust you.”

 

“Wise decision Kitten, I may like you more than most of your race but I will not hesitate to kill you when I escape.” He told you, his words venomous but his tone pleasant, friendly, almost respectful.

 

The camera’s beeped and you backed away from the cell.

 

“I suggest you kill me first Mischief, because if you don’t I _will_ take you down again.” You vowed and with a short running start you leapt back onto the top of the cell with ease and disappeared through a panel in the ceiling, seconds before the camera’s came back on.

 

It was hours after you left when he finally grew bored enough to flip open the novel you’d brought. Something fluttered from the pages and he caught it deftly, flipping it over in his hand with an awestruck expression. There hidden in the pages of the book you’d given him before you played your failed card trick was The King Of Hearts. He dropped the book on the ground, discarding it as he turned the playing card in his hands.

 

“Well played Kitten.” He muttered to himself, his lips twitching in amusement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N – Fun fact, In my story Asgard is still there, Odin’s alive (ugh) and Hela hasn’t been freed. 
> 
> Ragnarok, Infinty War and Endgame don’t apply to my Marvelverse!


	3. The Best Laid Plans

When you got back to the compound you headed straight for the kitchen. Which was apparently a pattern of yours because it was where Steve was sitting, waiting for you. Or you assumed he was waiting for you by the displeasure written across his face.

 

“Where have you been?” He demanded, forgoing a hello.

 

You ignoring the cross looking figure sat at the counter and took a bottle of water out of the fridge, taking a gulp before you answered.

 

“Out.” You shrugged.

 

“Bucky said you had a doctors appointment.”

 

“It was just an annual check-up, nothing to worry about.” You tried to assure Steve but his eyes lit up and you realized you’d made a mistake.

 

“Actually he said you were filing your taxes, knew he was lying though.” Steve said smugly and you groaned and gently banged your head against the fridge.

 

“You missed the de-briefing. When I agreed to let you join the Avengers it was under certain terms, do you remember what those were?” Steve asked sternly.

 

“Honestly? No. I wasn’t listening, I was just smiling and nodding along.” You said innocently.

 

“Kid come on, nobody gets out of these de-briefings ok? There’s more to being a hero than punching people.” He sighed.

 

“Come on Cap! Bucky, Sam and Nat have told me all the stories. You’re as much as a rule follower as I am.” You argued.

 

“I’m not a great role model to have.” Steve rebutted.

 

_You tried to stay brave, to stay strong because you knew without a doubt that you were about to die and it probably wouldn’t be painless. There was nothing you could do about it, you couldn’t save yourself and the superhero strapped to the table next to you couldn’t either. You didn’t want to make this situation any worse for him so when they stuck the needled under your skin and you saw the blood trickling down the tubes towards your body you remained as impassive as you could._

_“Look at me.” Someone ordered and since it was The Captain and not one of your captors, you obliged._

_“I’m here ok? I’m with you.” He promised._

_If he’d lied and said you were going to be ok then you would have been able to maintain your brave façade but he had opted to give the only comfort he could. You drowned out the voices of the scientists around you and the sight of his blood being pumped into your body and focused on him, his eyes. They were full of guilt and concern for you and more than a touch of fury for what was about to happen._

_“Tell me your name.” He instructed._

_He wasn’t asking to get to know you, he wanted to be able to track down your friends and family and have something to put on your tombstone so you whispered it to him. You felt strangely cold and a shiver wracked your body, making him tense in concern._

_“I’m alone.” You said softly._

_“You aren’t, you aren’t alone, I promise.” He comforted._

_“Not here, out there. Nobody’s left to wonder where I went, what happened to me. Nobody’s gonna cry at my funeral, nobody will even turn up.” You whispered._

_So much for remaining impassive. You couldn’t help it, you were thinking back on your whole life, your tragically short and unimportant life. Maybe if you’d tried harder, been more friendly, been more loveable then you wouldn’t be such an easy target for these creeps. But it was too late and you were going to die here and all that would be left to remember you by would be Steve Rogers guilt._

_“I’ll go. I will.” He said but you had already turned away, you were barely listening anymore because you’d heard the scientist give the next order._

_“Inject her with the new serum.”_

_“This will hurt I’m afraid, the easiest way for us to administer is to inject it directly into the heart.” The creepy doctor said, but he didn’t sound regretful._

_There was nowhere for you to wriggle away to, you were strapped down too tightly but when the massive needle entered your field of vision you tried anyway. You heard Steve yelling in the background and telling you to close your eyes but you couldn’t. No matter how afraid you were, you weren’t going to turn away._

_It did hurt, it hurt like hell. But the pain paled in comparison to the burn when the serum started burning through your veins, mingling with the foreign blood. It crept through your system like molten lave, setting you alight from within until your whole body was on fire. When it hit your brain you lost all sense of yourself, reduced to a husk of agony. All you could feel was pain, all you could hear was screaming. You were screaming so loudly it sounded like several people yelling._

_Wait._

_It was…_

_There was something happening outside of your bubble of pain and you thought that maybe you should care about it but a fresh wave of agony roared through you and you forgot all about it. Until someone said your name loudly and your restraints were ripped apart. Without them to hold you down you were thrashing wildly and you kind of noticed when you fell from the table before someone caught you and held down._

_“Look at me. LOOK AT ME!” They said._

_You grit your teeth and dug deep down for the strength and resolve to do what they said because something in your mind recognised the voice. You managed to squint enough to make out the blurry, terrified face of Steve Rogers. He looked as bad as you felt, probably because he’d been drained of quite a lot of blood. Blood that was now in your veins, tainted by poison and killing you._

_“Just hold on ok? Doctor Banner is going to save you, you’re going to be ok kid. You’re going to be ok. I promise.”_

“I won’t miss any more briefings or de-briefings ok? I promise.” You told him.

 

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

 

“You’ve never broken a promise to me, I won’t break any I make to you.” You said quietly.

 

He jerked slightly at your statement and there was a flash of guilt in him. He still felt responsible for what had happened that day, for the way you had suffered. And the way you had been forever changed by it, in more ways than one.

 

When you had woken up in The Avengers compound he had been asleep in a chair next to your bed, watching over you. He had been the one to explain how you were different now, how you were a super soldier (though you had argued that you weren’t a super soldier if you weren’t a soldier to begin with, you were more like a super bartender). He had wanted to give you a new identity and send you into the world, keeping your new abilities a secret. You had suggested that you had to do right by his blood, thinking you had a legacy to love up to. He had argued with you for days, huffing with disapproval the first time he had caught you in the gym sparring with Natasha. He had crossed his arms and glared when he found Sam instructing you in the shooting range. He held firm even when the rest of his team accepted the inevitable.

 

It was when he walked past your room one night and heard your screaming and rushed inside to wake you from the nightmare that he finally realized he didn’t have a say.

 

 _“There are bad people in the world Steve and they’re going to hurt people like I was hurt. You saved me, why can’t I at least try to save them. Let me learn, let me try.”_ You had begged.

 

He realized it was more than just blood you had in common. And he knew without a doubt that you were going to do whatever you felt you needed to do, regardless of what he said. So he took over your training, pushing you to the limit of your abilities every day. He dragged you to therapists appointments and learned how to make hot chocolate the way you liked it for when you had nightmares. You had been through enough together that he knew if you made a promise to him, you would never break it.

 

“Alright kid, I believe you. You’re still in trouble for missing this one though. I want your report done by first thing in the morning. We start training at 5am.”

 

“5am?! Are you fuc… fine, ok, yip, I’ll do that.” You agreed, mentally calculating how many brownies it would take to bribe Bucky into doing it for you.

 

“And you can’t make Bucky do it for you.” He added.

 

You glared at him as he smirked smugly and left you seething to yourself in the kitchen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The next time the camera’s beeped, Loki was waiting.

 

“How did you do it?” He demanded as soon as your feet touched the floor.

 

“Do what?” You asked innocently.

 

He held up the King of Hearts with an almost petulant expression. He’d spent the last few days wracking his brain, trying to work out how had done it. The fact that a mortal could confound him with a simple card trick had sent him through a myriad of feelings. Disbelief, scorn, fury and eventually, begrudging respect.

 

“Told ya Mischief, I’ve got a little magic of my own.” You smirked.

 

“I could show you real magic if not for this infernal cell. Is it necessary to inhibit my magic inside it? Am I really to be so cut of from my senses?” He demanded haughtily.

 

“You realize that it’s a cell on this planet or a cell on Asgard. According to Thor, the almighty Odin isn’t happy with you.” You reminded him.

 

“He was never happy with me.” Loki snarled.

 

“Yeah, from everything Thor’s told me, I have to ask, what exactly is Odin the god of? Bad parenting?” You scoffed.

 

Loki smirked approvingly.

 

“I would love to hear you say that to him.” He admitted.

 

“You say that like I wouldn’t do it. Take me to Asgard right now and I’ll tear him a new one. Or as much as I can before he smites me.” You offered.

 

“I don’t doubt you kitten and it is gratifying to hear.”

 

“I might sympathise with you mischief but I’m not excusing your actions.”

 

He wasn’t offended, he actually nodded at you as if to agree with your assessment.

 

“That is fair. I did try to conquer your realm, I can see why you might take offence.”

 

You frowned at how _reasonable_ he sounded.

 

“Humans like all vermin will rebel against the superior predator that reminds them how small and insignificant they are.” He said and you rolled your eyes.

 

“Well Mr Superior don’t forget that it was the least trained Avenger who captured your ass.” You teased.

 

“Not through strength or skill, you tricked me into thinking you were weaker than you were.” He said sullenly.

 

“I thought you liked tricks?” You asked.

 

“Oh I do kitten. I’ve studied the archaic runes your wizard has covered this cell in. There’s one down here that could be removed. It would allow my magic within this cell but not outside of it.” He said charmingly, practically fluttering his eyelashes at you in a blatant attempt to have you remove it.

 

You knelt down to where he was gesturing and studied the runes scratched into the glass. You hadn’t noticed them before.

 

“This one?” You asked, pointing to it.

 

He narrowed his eyes, suspicious of your easy attitude but nodded. You grinned and pulled a knife from your belt, flipping it in your hand like Bucky had taught you.

 

“So if I scratch it out, you’ll be able to use your magic in there?” You checked.

 

“I would.” He chuckled. “But we both know you won’t do it, so lets drop the charade.”

 

“What makes you so sure I won’t?” You pressed.

 

“You’re too smart to trust me kitten.”

 

“So you think I’m smart?” You asked with a grin.

 

“For a mortal.” He amended.

 

“Nope, you complimented me, you can’t take it back.” You said happily.

 

“Even mouldy bread can start to look appetizing to a starving man.” He snarked.

 

“You’re supposed to be silver tongued, not sharp tongued.” You huffed.

 

“You’ll find my tongue is capable of many different things.” He said slyly.

 

“When?” You asked.

 

“Pardon?”

 

“You said I’ll find your tongue is capable of many different things… When will I find this out?” You elaborated.

 

“When you remove that pesky rune.” He suggested.

 

“Surely you can make me a better offer than that Mischief.” You said.

 

“Are you suggesting a deal kitten?”

 

“Seems that way.” You confirmed.

 

He tilted his head as he mulled it over and you could almost see the gears turning in his head. Your offer was genuine and he could see it.

 

“Remove the rune and I will give you a gift, something you will be the first mortal to enjoy. Something from Asgard.” He offered.

 

It seemed like a harmless deal and a fair one. You dragged the tip of the blade across the rune, scratching a line through it and negating it. Loki seemed to stand straighter when you did, he automatically became more imposing.

 

“I am still contained, I can neither move myself or anything beyond my confinement. But I can summon things here.” He said as he moved to the tray slot.

 

There was a flash of green in his hand and he pushed something through the slot towards you. You automatically caught it before it hit the ground and you marvelled at it. It was a fruit of some kind, like a small apple that fit neatly in the palm of your hand but it was a dark purple, almost black.

 

“It is an Elfhett, they grow on the low hanging branches of the trees that are deepest in the forest of Asgard.” He explained.

 

“And how poisonous are they?” You asked wryly.

 

“You are my only company kitten, it would serve me no purpose to kill you while you may still be of use to me.” He assured, though it was hardly assuring.

 

“Eat the apple Eve, said the serpent.” You muttered.

 

You used your knife to cut a slice out of the fruit, making a noise of happy surprise when you saw the inside was a dark blue, rippled with shining black specs. Spearing the piece on the end of the blade you slowly brought it to your lips. Loki watched you expectantly as it passed your lips.

 

It tasted like nothing you’d ever tasted and somehow you could taste that it wasn’t of this world. It melted on your tongue like chocolate, not apple like in the slightest. He looked smug at your clear enjoyance of it.

 

“And now that I’ve fulfilled my deal with you kitten, magic may not allow me to escape this cell but it will allow me to summon something that can.” He crowed victoriously.

 

There was a telling flash of green light and then Loki was holding the glowing blue cube you’d only ever seen in photo’s and videos. The tesseract.

 

Before Loki could use the infinity stone to make his escape an alarm blared and the glass separating you both shattered as a current of electricity was shot through it from the metal grating it was built into and the knife in your hand was whizzing through the air, sinking into his hand. The hand that was holding the tesseract. He looked briefly amused and maybe even impressed.

 

The doors crashed open and Thor stormed in, Mjolnir at the ready.

 

“Loki! Hand over the tesseract!” The golden haired god of thunder demanded in a voice that was reminiscent of his title.

 

“No brother, I don’t think I will.” Loki said calmly.

 

You and Thor shared a brief look of panic. When you’d come up with this idea, this had not been a part of your plan.

 

_After loki had been cuffed by you and led away, the team boarded the quinjet and set a course for the facilty they were putting Loki._

 

_“Loki took the tesseract from the vaults of Asgard when he was impersonating my father and used to escape when his ruse was discovered.” Thor said._

 

_“We searched him and he definitely doesn’t have the tesseract anymore.” Natasha stated._

_“So he’s hidden it somewhere? It could be anywhere in the whole universe.” Tony sighed._

_You tuned out the rest of the conversation as your mind spun with the possibilities, formulating a plan. As the team disembarked the quinjet you ran up behind Thor._

_“I think we can get the tesseract back from Loki, but there’s a catch.” You whispered._

_Thor frowned at you, looking around before grasping your elbow gently and tugging you aside._

_“What is you plan and this catch you speak of?” He asked._

_“Well first up, Steve will never agree to this, he’ll hate it so the catch is we are on our own here. But you know Loki better than anybody and it was Asgard he stole the tesseract from. So what do you say?” You asked with a smirk, offering Thor your hand._

_He looked torn, not wanting to deceive Steve or the team but needing to recover the tesseract before it fell back into Loki’s hands, or the hands of someone worse._

_“I’m listening.” He finally said._

You’d embedded a knife in Loki’s hand and he hadn’t even flinched, let alone dropped the tesseract like you’d been banking on. Thor twirled Mjolnir but Loki quickly stood behind you, wrapping his free arm around your throat.

 

“You want a rematch Mischief?” You hissed.

 

“Don’t think of this as me using you as a human shield, think of it more as me not wasting an opportunity to be pressed against you.” He whispered in your ear.

 

“Loki release her!” Thor boomed.

 

You were waiting for the right moment to fight back, not wanting Loki to use the tesseract to slip away. If he did that you would have a hell of a time trying to explain this to Steve. Your heart panged painfully at the disappointed look he would give you if you fucked this up. He’d done so much for you, you wanted, no you _needed_ to make him proud. You needed to show him he hadn’t made a mistake by taking you in.

 

You leaned back against Loki, pressing your back to his chest.

 

“I’m perfectly fine where I am.” You said, winking at Thor to reassure him.

 

“I will release her unharmed, you have my word brother.” Loki said solemnly.

 

Your arm shot up, with the intention of knocking the tesseract away from Loki.

 

“I just won’t be releasing her on this planet.” Loki hissed.

 

“LOKI NO!”

 

You saw Thor dive towards you and then all you could see was blue light everywhere as Loki’s grip tightened on you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - If you want please tell me what you thought of this chapter? What did you like? What didn’t you like? What do you want to see in the future? What do you think will happen?


	4. The Distillers Planet

It felt like being sucked into a vacuum and being dumped into a blender while there was a dubstep concert going on around you.

 

Your feet finally hit sold ground and your immediate reaction was to try and faceplant the ground, which you would have done if not for Loki’s hold on you. You tried to swear loudly but what actually came out sounded a lot more like

 

“Fwwaaargh.”

 

“Eloquently put.” Loki said dryly from behind you.

 

You weakly tried to wrestle yourself away from him in vain until he sighed loudly and abruptly released you. You stumbled forwards a few steps and sunk to your knees.

 

“The fuck Mischief?” You demanded.

 

“Pardon?”

 

“You kidnapped me!”

 

“I suppose I did but in my defence I had to think on my feet after your betrayal.” He snapped.

 

You pulled your phone out of your pocket, prepared to call Steve and put up with the ‘eyebrows of disappointment’ if it meant he came and rescued you.

 

“Come on.” You muttered, flicking the screen in an attempt to make your phone pick up a signal.

 

You held it up in the air, eyes on the signal bar when your finally realised exactly what had just happened.

 

“Oh no.” You groaned.

 

Loki was stood in front of you with an extremely amused expression, the sunlight highlighting the smugness in his eyes. The sunlight from both of the suns. There were two suns in the sky.

 

“Have you finally caught up to the situation?” He asked.

 

“I am not in fucking Kansas anymore.” You whispered, horrified.

 

“Welcome to , Ciegrim-7, known as ‘the Distiller's Planet.’, Kitten.” Loki said.

 

You were on another planet. The dirt beneath your knees wasn’t Earth, the sky above you was on the other side of the universe. You were alone, in space, with the God of Mischief… who you’d just tried to screw over. You violently threw your useless phone at his smug face and he caught it easily without even blinking.

 

“Send me back!” You ordered.

 

“No.” He said simply.

 

You ground your teeth together in frustration and pushed off from the ground, not bothering to straighten your stance as you wrapped your arms around Loki’s waist and used your momentum to piledrive him into the ground.

 

“I’m not playing Mischief, send me back, right fucking now.” You snarled as you tried to wrap your hands around his throat.

 

“We always seem to end up in this position.” He chuckled, catching your wrists with ease.  

 

You were in fact straddling him again, only this time you didn’t have a handy pair of magical cuffs to use on him.

 

“Why are you doing this to me?” You groaned, trying to tug your wrists out of his grip.

 

“It’s not what I’m doing to you that you should be worried about, think more about what I could do with you. What we could do together.” He suggested.

 

This was a bad situation, you needed to focus on that and not the fact that Loki’s body was firmer than you expected, or the way his slender fingers were locked tightly around your wrists, or the smirk on his face that said he knew exactly what you were thinking about.

 

“You and your team killed or contained my last batch of recruits so as recompense you will be helping me hire some new associates.” He said, breaking through your perfectly innocent internal musings.

 

“I’ll be doing what now?” You demanded.

 

“The Distillers Planet is one of the best places in the galaxies to find down on their luck cutthroats with no morals and empty pockets. I’m in need of new allies, you’re going to help me.” He said, sitting up so you were face to face.

 

“I’d say to give me one good reason why I would help you but I’m guessing you’re not going to send me home until I do?” You sighed.

 

“It is refreshing how smart you are.” He admitted.

 

“Smart enough to get the better of you almost twice, sure you wanna trust me Mischief?” You asked with a smug smirk.

 

“You don’t have a way of containing me anymore kitten and you’re all alone with me. You won’t survive without my help, never mind get home back to your probably frantic Captain.” He reminded you.

 

Steve… You couldn’t even imagine how he was going to react to Thor telling him Loki had taken you off world. You needed to get back to him so he could murder you for being so stupid.

 

“Fine. I’ll help you Mischief.” You sighed.

 

“Isn’t it better to be friends than enemies?” He asked.

 

“We aren’t friends.” You insisted.

 

“A claim that would have a little more bite to it if you weren’t comfortably sat on my lap.” He pointed out.

 

You looked down at the practically non-existent space between your chests. You truthfully hadn’t even really thought about the compromising permission you were in when he started talking, content to just sit there while you spoke.

 

“You have proven that you can hold your own against me in a fight, yet you knocked me to the ground, straddled me and then gave up. What am I to make of that?” He asked suggestively.

 

“That you have comfortable thighs.” You shrugged.

 

It was true, his lap was surprisingly comfy and he might be a psychotic dark god who had tried to take over your whole planet and had kidnapped you and brought you to an alien planet but you didn’t feel like you were in danger from him. Which was probably stupid of you and would definitely bite you on the ass.

 

Loki however looked perplexed by your answer as you stood up and brushed the dirt from your jeans. He had probably expected you to be embarrassed or to flirt back with him, not act casual about it but you took great pleasure in being unpredictable to the chaos maker.

 

~~~Meanwhile On Earth~~~

                                                           

“Can’t you track her phone?” Clint demanded.

 

“It’s not meant to be taken off planet, I can’t track it when it’s god knows how many lightyears away!” Tony grumbled.

 

“What about your guy in Asgard, that Heimdall fella?” Sam asked a still sheepish looking Thor.

 

“Loki learned how to hide himself from Heimdall a long time ago, he can not help us.” Thor explained.

 

“I can’t track the Gamma signature on the Tesseract outside of our atmosphere.” Bruce sighed.

 

“So nobody can find them? Loki has her and we don’t have a clue where in the universe he’s taken her? That’s what your saying?” Steve said quietly from the back of the room.

 

His voice cut through the squabbling and rendered everybody silent. He had succinctly summed up the sheer hopelessness of the situation while he stared blankly at the wall.  

 

“We will find them, we will bring her home.” Thor vowed.

 

“She shouldn’t be gone in the first place. What the hell were you thinking?” Bucky asked, frustration pouring off him in waves as he shot concerned side glances at Steve.

 

“The Lady believed she could convince Loki to reveal the Tesseract and she was right. We almost had him, her plan was a good one.” Thor argued.

 

“Can’t have been that good because not only did Loki escape with the Tesseract he took her! He took my…” Steve snapped, trailing of at the end of his sentence and swallowing thickly.

 

“Your what?” Natasha asked meaningfully.

 

Steve shook his head and stormed out of the room, his shoulder shaking with tense rage.

 

“Let him go.” Sam said softly to Thor before the blonde god could follow him.

 

“I will return her, I swear. Loki will not get away with this.” Thor said, more to himself than anyone else.

 

“Don’t blame yourself pointbreak, the kids got most of us wrapped around her little finger. She’s talked us into some stupid plans as well.” Tony said, clapping Thor on the shoulder.

 

“Like the time she convinced you to let her use the repulsors from your suit so she could make instant popcorn?” Sam sniggered.

 

Bucky quietly slipped from the room before anyone could notice him because he knew when it came to your stupid ideas, he was the worst offender. He followed after Steve before the team decided to relive some of his greatest hits. He had a pretty good idea as to where Steve had gone and he was right. He found Steve sat on the end of your bed, a picture frame clutched in his hands.

 

“We’ll bring her back. You know she’s probably panicking about how badly you’re going to ground her when she gets back.” Bucky said, leaning against the doorframe.

 

“I’m not going to ground her. She’s an adult and I’m not her father.” Steve scoffed.

 

“No? What you got there punk?” Bucky asked knowingly.

 

Steve turned the frame around so Bucky could see the picture in it. It was a picture Bucky knew well, he was the one who had taken it and it usually resided on your bedside cabinet. After your first ever successful mission as part of the team you had fallen asleep on the quinjet and he, Natasha and Tony had stifled their laughter when Steve paused in the middle of his proud verbal re-enactment of your actions as your head slumped down onto his shoulder. Steve had looked concerned for a brief moment, rearranging his position so you wouldn’t get a cramp in your neck and then proceeded to continue with his glowing praise in a whisper. Bucky had subtly snapped the picture of you sleeping peacefully with Steve was visibly glowing with pride and affection.

 

_“Get up.”_

_“No.”_

_“You were supposed to be in the gym ten minutes ago.”_

_“Five more minutes.” You bartered, burrowing down into the covers._

_“Kid, Hydra won’t give you five more minutes. I know you’re exhausted and I’ve been pushing you really hard but it’s for a reason. You need to be prepared to fight at a moments notice, no matter how tired you are.” Steve explained._

_You groaned and finally emerged from the covers, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of your eyes._

_“Good girl.” He praised, turning around to leave you to get ready when he spotted the photo on your bedside table._

_You saw where he was looking and blushed slightly._

_“I… Before this, before you, my life was pretty meaningless. Ordinary and boring and that was ok but then I met you and I thought I could be more but I was still scared. Nobody has ever taken a chance on me like you did and I like having a reminder there that someone believes in me, that I have somebody to make proud.” You whispered, too afraid to meet his eyes._

_He sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed with his back to you. He fidgeted for a moment before he pulled his wallet out of his pocket and flipped it open, handing it to you. You slowly took it, your eyes getting embarrassingly damp when you saw a smaller version of the same photo, slotted between an old black and white photo of the beautiful Peggy Carter and a fairly recent picture of Bucky and Sam laughing at something off camera._

_“I **am** proud of you, I have been ever since you made me promise to punch that doctor in the groin if you died. I worry all the time, I hate that you chose this path because it’s so dangerous but you knew that and you did it anyway. How could I not be proud of you?” He explained and you looked up to see him staring at you with a meaningful expression. _

_“I will never not be proud of you. I will be especially proud if you get up and help me and Buck run laps around Sam though.” He said with a shit eating grin._

_“Aye Aye captain.”_

 

“This is my fault Bucky. She was trying to get the tesseract because of me, to make me proud. I should have never let her near Loki.” Steve sighed.

 

“Can it Punk. You said it yourself, she’s an adult. She’s also an Avenger. Should she have told us what she was up to? Yes, but it was a good plan. Sam said Loki reacted strangely to her, she used that to her advantage to manipulate him. She didn’t learn that from you, she learned it from me and Nat but we aren’t wallowing in guilt. Because she made her own choices and she’ll learn from her mistakes like the rest of us. So lets just focus on getting her back alright?” Bucky said with authority, stepping into the role Steve usually occupied, taking charge of the situation.

 

“You’re right. Call T’Challa and see if Shuri can help. Have Natasha get a hold of Fury, I’m going to start digging through all Shields old files on the Tesseract. And I’ve changed my mind, she’s absolutely grounded when she gets back.”

 

~~~On Ciegrim-7~~~

 

Loki resisted the urge to roll his eyes and settled for a long, loud sigh.

 

“Hurry up.” He snapped over his shoulder at you.

 

You ignored him, still standing at the top of the hill, awestruck. You knew you were on a different planet and Loki had already told you that that it was populated but seeing it was a completely different thing. The city not too far in the distance was so alien and so beautiful. It was a strange mixture of a medieval village and a futuristic city. Hundreds of thatched buildings mixed in with towering metal skyscrapers and factories. Smoke plumed over the sky above the city but it was brightly coloured, green smoke drifted upwards and mingling with a purple one. It was insane and beautiful.

 

“You’re forgiven.” You said, turning your eyes to Loki.

 

He looked taken aback and confused.

 

“For kidnapping me. If you hadn’t, I would have never seen this. I’m just a little human from Earth and I’m standing above an alien city. I… thank you.” You elaborated.

 

“This is nothing to gape at, just a filthy city filled with miscreants and workers. Of all the things in the universe I could show you that would take your breath away, this is insignificant.” He scoffed.

 

“Maybe to you Mischief, but I’m not a 1000 years old. I’m not numb to the beauty the universe has to offer yet.” You argued as you fell into step beside him, both of you making your way towards the wonderous city.

 

“I’m not numb to beauty. True beauty is rare and astonishing and I promise, I very much appreciate it when I see it.” Loki said softly.

 

It wasn’t often his voice took on that kind of tone and you looked over at him in surprise, curious about what someone like him would class as true beauty. His eyes were locked on yours and he blinked and looked away quickly.

 

“Every time I start to forget how small your race is I am reminded. The universe is more vast and amazing that your tiny mind could begin to comprehend.” He sneered.

 

“And it’s more beautiful than your jaded and cynical mind could begin to truly appreciate.” You rebutted.  

 

“Would you like me to prove how thoroughly I can _appreciate_ beauty, kitten?” He whispered lowly, his hand brushing over the small of your back.

 

“What I’d really like Mischief, is for you to explain how exactly you expect me to help you find a band of not so merry men to join you.” You said coldly, stepping away from his touch.

 

“I told you, the people here are down on their luck cutthroats. Not exactly pleasant company. I need you to make sure that while I am hiring mercenaries, another miscreant doesn’t try to put a knife in my back.” He explained with a shrug.

 

You stopped dead and glared at him. He sighed and turned around to see what the hold up was, raising an eyebrow at the palpable rage coming from you.

 

“You STOLE me and took me across the UNIVERSE because you needed a BODYGUARD????” You shrieked.


	5. Protection Detail

By the time you reached the outskirts of the city Loki had taken to ignoring you, annoyed by your constant barrage of questions. Not that you really noticed, you were talking at a hundred miles an minute and he wouldn’t have been able to get a word in if he’d tried.

 

“How am I going to you know… talk to them? And what are their customs? Mischief what if I offend them?” You asked with considerable concern.

 

This was your first foray into Alien territory, you didn’t want to screw it up and upset anyone.

 

His fingers closed around your wrist and he pulled you backwards, spinning you so you were facing him.

 

“What are you doing now?” You sighed.

 

He only smirked and stepped in closer, his arm wrapping around your waist. The once steady beat of your heart picked up until your heart was thrumming like a trapped hummingbird against your ribs.

 

“Mischief?” You choked out in a whisper.

 

He dipped his head until his lips were just a mere breath from yours and against your better instincts your eyes fluttered closed in anticipation. He whispered something against your lips, something you didn’t understand and a cool tingling started in your lips, spreading through your body like an electric shock. Your head felt clouded and heavy.

 

Abruptly he released you. It was so sudden you almost fell over and scrambled to regain your balance as he turned on his heel and strode away.

 

“There, now you needn’t worry about the communication barrier.” Loki said over his shoulder.

 

“Wait, what?”

 

“Allspeak Kitten. You can understand and be understood by almost any being in the universe now.” He elaborated.

 

Your fingers brushed over your lips as you frowned. It was a spell, he had enchanted you, not kissed you.

 

“Wait, you’re saying I can talk to Aliens? I’m going to be able to talk to them?” You gasped.

 

“You are aware I myself am what you would class as an Alien? As is my brother.” He said dryly, taking the time to look back at you like you were an idiot.

 

“Thor’s not an Alien, he’s a puppy.” You scoffed as you caught up with him.

 

“And me?” He probed.

 

“I could spend a lifetime trying to figure out what you are and not have any answers.” You told him.

 

“What a waste of a lifetime, especially since yours is so short.”

 

“Don’t worry Mischief, I wouldn’t really waste my life on you…...”

 

You trailed off mid-sentence because someone walked out of a doorway and across your path. The person was about 4ft tall, green, had a trunk with a snail-like shell around it and two eyes raised on stalks above it’s head, and didn’t appreciate you staring it.

 

“What the hell are you looking at?” They snapped.

 

“You.” You said dumbly.

 

You hadn’t meant it to come out rude or antagonistic but they seemed to take it that way, ducking their head down and hurrying away.

 

“Oh. Oh no, I didn’t mean it like that.” You said, looking after them forlornly.

 

“Ciegrimite, native to this planet.” Loki supplied helpfully.

 

“Cool!” You said, awestruck.

 

The further into the city you got, the more that awestruck feeling grew. It was a cluster of new sounds and smells, some you could find similarity in, some completely foreign. There were aliens that were indistinguishable from you and Loki, though some had blue, green or purple skin. There were various beings though that were absolutely nothing like you as well though and everytime you saw one, you got a little giddy.

 

“Who’s that?” You asked, tugging on Loki’s sleeve like an excited child.

 

“A Calurnian. I’m not personally acquainted with her though so I can’t tell you _who_ it is.” He said with only a hint of mocking.

 

A small furry brown creature that came up to about your waist saw you peering at it and before you could look away before offending it, it waved at you. You waved back enthusiastically, ignoring Loki rolling his eyes beside you.

 

“Druff. Idiotic things, they possess no more than a childlike intelligence and have an even shorter lifespan than you do.” He whispered.

 

“What? How long do they live?”

 

“Three years, give or take.” He shrugged.

 

You looked back at the small being sadly. Three years wasn’t long at all, no wonder they had childlike intelligence, they never even grew up.

 

“It’s not all beautiful after all is it?” Loki taunted.

 

“Beauty isn’t measured by quantity Mischief.” You snapped.

 

He seemed taken aback by the sudden souring of your mood.

 

“Enlighten me then Kitten, how does one measure beauty?” He challenged.

 

“You don’t.” You said simply.

 

If he needed it explained, then he was never going to understand. You kind of got it though, when you lived for millenia then things lost their charm and excitement and your standards got higher, being raised as Royalty probably didn’t help either. You were actually glad that you would never live long enough to become that numb to things.

 

“This is one of the seedier taverns in the city, well know to be frequented by pirates and mercenaries.” Loki said, nodding towards a one storey shack.

 

Even if this world was unfamiliar to you, you could tell that the tavern wasn’t a nice place. It had a very bad vibe and the raucous yelling and sounds of fighting coming from it put you on alert even before Loki had pointed it out.

 

“What are you doing now?” He sighed in exasperation when you didn’t follow him but started scoping out an alleyway instead.

 

“I though you were like the King of Sneaky? If I watch from here, I have a clear view in through the windows. It’s better than stomping in and attracting attention.” You explained, perching on top a railing so you could see the whole inside of the tavern from your vantage point.

 

Loki might have argued if it weren’t for the brisk professional manner you had taken up. You had slipped into mission mode.

 

“Yes, it’s better if you stay out here. You can be my secret weapon.” He agreed with a slight nod of his head, acting like he had come up with the idea.

 

“If you need me, scratch your right eyebrow. If you need me to get ready, scratch your left.” You ordered.

 

“How droll.” He sighed.

 

“Ok, counter offer, I’ll wait for somebody to stab you. Soon as I see you bleeding, that’ll be my signal to come in.” You offered.

 

“Everytime I think we’re making progress you say something like that, I’m starting to think you don’t like me.” He quipped dryly.

 

“I like you.” You said with a casual shrug.

 

He narrowed his eyes and waited for the punchline but there wasn’t one.

 

“Even after I kidnapped you and forced you to play bodyguard to me?”

 

“An alien waved at me, I’m pretty over the kidnapping thing as long as I get home soon. And you’re not the worst company in the world.. or the universe.” You informed him with a teasing smirk.

 

“So there’s hope for us yet then.” He deduced with a grin.

 

He leant on the wall so he was towering over you with his considerable height, his eyes twinkling and his lips upturned.

 

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. I like you but I don’t trust you. I’d say I wouldn’t trust you as far as I could throw you but I think I could actually throw you quite a bit further than I’d ever be able to trust you Mischief. You’re still the god of lies, and fire and chaos, and you tried to take over my planet and attacked my family. I’m working with you because I have no choice but don’t forget that I’m still and Avenger and you’re still a villain.” You said, reminding yourself more than him.

 

Everything you had said was technically true. He was the bad guy and you were trying your best to be a hero. You were helping him because you were essentially his prisoner. Neither of you could afford to forget that. You guessed Loki wasn’t pleased with the reminder because his expression went cold and he turned around and walked into the tavern without another word.

 

And if you felt guilty for hurting his feelings then it was just weakness on your part and you needed to do better. Making friends with Loki was not on the agenda. All that was on the agenda was getting home.

 

You needed to get back home, to Steve.

 

~~~Two Hours Later~~~

 

Loki exited the tavern furiously. He had been forced to threaten his way out, leaving at least two bodies in his wake and you, _you_ hadn’t deigned to show up. He stormed over to the alleyway he’d left you in and as he suspected, found it void of your presence. There was a slight chance you had been taken but he suspected that if you had somehow been unable to fight off an attacker you would have at least made such a scene that he would have heard it. No, he knew what had happened. You had abandoned him.

 

Ire coursed through his veins at your unreliability and callousness. He thought you had reached an accord and you had scuttled off like a cockroach the second his back was turned. You were really arrogant enough to believe you could survive in this place without him, lightyears away from your home and your precious Avengers without any backup.

 

He bit down a groan of frustration and began searching for you, trying to think like you would to figure out where you had gone. He searched all through the marketplace assuming you would be entranced by the stalls of shiny worthless junk but he turned up no sign of you. He could just leave you here but that was too close to mercy and he wanted to make you pay for your betrayal. He’d been _kind_ and this is how you repayed him.

 

So what if he had kidnapped you, you had tried to trick him first. In fact, you were the reason he had been captured in the first place. Even if you thought you had just been defending the little hunk of space debris you called a planet you had no right. And he hadn’t hurt you, he had even let you attack him without repercussion. He had used his magic to gift you allspeak, something usually reserved for Asgardians, and just because you’d been so worried about being able to talk with the insignificant beings who traversed this place. Well he hoped that you enjoyed being able to understand them before they slit your throat and threw you in a pit. Though the thought of that happening did make him quicken his pace.

 

Because he was the one who deserved to kill you, _not_ because he was worried.

 

His search for you came to an abrupt conclusion when instead of him finding you, you literally fell at his feet. Or to be precise, someone bodily threw you out of a tavern and into his path.

 

“Mishiff?” You slurred, squinting at him from the ground.

 

He stared down at you, half furious, half perplexed.

 

“Kitten.” He said lowly, his tone dripping with venom.

 

He knelt down and grabbed a fistful of your shirt, dragging you to your feet, glaring daggers at the ginormous bovine like creature that had unceremoniously thrown you in the dirt.

 

“Leave. Now. Before I make you pay in blood for laying a hand on her.” He snarled at it, his eyes flashing dangerously.

 

It seemed to understand the danger and slowly backed away. When it had retreated back inside the Inn he looked down at you.

 

“’Lo.” You said amicably, blinking up at him.

 

“You’re drunk.” He seethed.

 

“Yup! They have strong stuff here, gets even super shoulders drunk.”

 

“Of all the stupid, ignorant, lowly creatures in this universe you are the one I trusted and you abandoned me if favour of getting drunk.” He clarified, deadly calm.

 

“You didn’t trust me with a thing, you napped me by * **hiccup** * accident. You were just being a dick so get off that high…. Thingy… HORSE!” You screeched, trying to turn around and looking confounded by the fact you couldn’t seem to move.

 

He noticed a few people watching the commotion and swore under his breath.

 

“Move.” He snarled at you, pushing you ahead of him and swearing again when you stumbled and he was forced to catch you.

 

He sighed and kept a grip on your waist, dragging you off the streets.

 

“Where we going?” You asked giddily.

 

“Out of sight,” He hissed.

 

“Oh, I’m in trouble now!” You yelped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what are we thinking so far?


	6. Trust Fall

He didn’t release you until he’d yanked you into a tall building and made you climb several flights of stairs, looking over his shoulder the whole time. He pushed you through a door and onto a roof.

 

“We had a deal!” He said, outraged, shoving you away from him.

 

You paused in your visual examination of the city from the ledge of the roof and gave him a derisive expression.

 

“No, we had a blackmailing. You blackmailed me into watching your ass.” You snapped, partially leaning over the railing and holding your arms out in your best Titanic impression.

 

“I prefer to think of it as an agreement. I forgave you for deceiving me and even threw in the offer to send you home. All you had to do was help me with one small task.”

 

“Well I don’t want to help you!” You whined petulantly, crossing your arms.

 

He rolled his eyes at you childish drunken display.

 

“Look Mischief, I might find all this kinda exciting but you know who doesn’t? Steve. All The Avengers know is you grabbed me and shoved me through a gateway to god knows where. They don’t even know if I’m alive!” You said, your eyes welling up.

 

“I don’t have time for your ridiculous emotions. I have to get off this planet because I didn’t exactly make friends when I realised you had abandoned me.” He hissed.

 

“Then go!” You yelled.

 

You were being extremely bratty and you could tell he was growing more and more annoyed with it.

 

Good.

 

“Oh we’re going.” He informed you with a twisted smirk.

 

“Unless you’d rather I left you here?” He added.

 

You glared at him and huffed before you gave up, like he knew you would.

 

“Fine. Let’s go.” You sniffed.

 

“This will be even more unpleasant while you’re inebriated.” He relished in informing you as he held the Tesseract out to you.

 

You shuddered and slowly uncrossed your arms and stomped over to him, glaring hatefully at his smug face the whole time. He faltered slightly when instead of grabbing the Tesseract directly you stood in front of him and clutched at his elbow.

 

He softened towards you ever so slightly and it almost made you rethink your plans. Almost. You yanked him towards you at the same time you lifted your leg into a highkick and kicked the Tesseract out of his hands and sent it sailing across the roof.

 

He recovered quickly and almost broke your ribs when he shoved you away and dived after the Tesseract. Seconds before his fingers made contact with it, one of his own knives whirled across the open space and embedded itself in the ground, trapping his sleeve in the point.

 

“You’re not drunk at all are you, little thief?” He hissed, pulling the knife out and spinning around to slash it at you as you rushed him.

 

“Not even a little tipsy, Mischief.” You told him with a teasing smirk.

 

His eyes widened with alarm as you dove forwards, not towards him but an empty patch of ground. You landed on your forearms and twisted your body around, your foot connecting with the Tesseract and sending it skidding across the roof and straight over the edge. You stood up in time so shove Loki aside, stopping him diving after it.

 

“You stupid little brat.” He spat out.

 

“Come on Mischief, I screw you over, you screw me over and so on and so forth. Don’t take it personally.” You huffed, ducking under his incoming blow and jabbing your elbow into his solar plexus.

 

“I mean, it’s basically foreplay for us at this point.” You added, putting your heel onto his hip and hoisting yourself up to knee him in the throat.

 

“Then I presume you’ll enjoy this, Kitten.” He hissed, wrapping his hand around your thigh and slamming you into the ground with the full force of his strength.

 

It knocked the wind completely out of you and you barely managed to roll out of the way in time before his boot crushed into your ribs.

 

“We really need a safeword.” You groaned.

 

“How about ‘Betrayal’?” He snarled, wrapping his fingers around your throat and picking you up of the ground.

 

Your shoes were barely scuffing the floor as he squeezed, choking the life out of you and your lungs started screaming for oxygen. You raised your right arm and brought it down onto his wrist, trying to break his hold on you but he just let out a grunt of pain, his grip unfaltering.

 

“You stupid girl. We could have been allies, we could have worked together! We could have been…” He clenched his jaw and sneered at you as he trailed off.

 

You managed to push your foot into the centre of his chest and pushed with all your might, ignoring the fact the it felt like your throat was being ripped out by your actions until he stumbled backwards. He was thrust back from you and you dropped to the ground, gasping for air.

 

“Allies? You’re hiring mercenaries to attack MY home.” You spluttered.

 

Because you weren’t _completely_ stupid. You’d taken Loki when he had made a another attack on your planet and he wanted you to help him replace the allies The Avengers had killed in battle or arrested. No matter your feelings about Loki personally you couldn’t be responsible for helping him acquire help when you knew in the end, it was your planet that would suffer for it.

 

“I’m not trying to take over your planet, I’m trying to save it.” He snapped.

 

There was a long pause after his confession.

 

“Pardon?” You finally asked.

 

“I asked you to watch my back kitten, because there’s a bounty on my head. From the same enemy who is planning to attack Midgard.” He huffed.

 

“You’re lying.” You said but it came out more of a question than a statement.

 

There couldn’t be any truth to that, could there? A small bubble of hope formed in your chest despite your brain telling you it was a trick.

 

“Reasonable doubt but I am telling the truth. What do you know of the Kree?” He sighed.

 

“Uh, they came to earth once before and tried to turn humans into soldiers by mixing dna. That’s why we have Inhumans.” You recited, struggling to remember what you knew about the Inhumans history.

 

“A Kree insurgent has broken ties with his people and amassed an army. He plans to add the Inhumans to that army.”

 

“Let’s say you’re telling the truth… What’s it got to do with you?” You asked suspiciously.

 

“He wants the Tesseract.” Loki said like it was obvious.

 

“Of course he does. And you don’t want to give it to him so you’re throwing your lot in with us humans.” You scoffed.

 

“Like that charming Midgardian saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” He said, stepping closer to you hopefully.

 

“You aren’t trying to save my world, you’re trying to use it to save your own ass so you can keep your power and take over us another day.” You sighed.

 

He didn’t deny it and that was like a stab in the gut to you. You wished you could trust him but you knew it wasn’t possible. You couldn’t work with him, you couldn’t be allies. Even if he was telling the truth now, he had waited until he had no other choice to tell you.

 

“Maybe, but that’s tomorrows problem. For now, trust me. I know it isn’t easy Kitten but you have little choice. So take a leap of faith.” He beseeched, holding out his hand.

 

Your mind raced with all the possible implications of possibilities. You didn’t know what to do.

 

~~~Then~~~

 

_The back of your skull collided with the gym mat and you groaned._

_“What was that?” Natasha demanded, holding her hand out to pull you to your feet._

_“I tried to do that thing you do with the thighlock.” You winced, rubbing your tender head._

_“You failed.” She pointed out dryly._

_“No shit Sherlock. It’s not as easy as you make it look.” You pouted._

_“I make it look easy because I’ve practiced it so much that it is easy to me. I didn’t just see someone do it and randomly attempt it.” She snorted._

_“Will you teach me?” You asked her hopefully._

_“Yes. And you should have asked in the first place.” She said, rolling her eyes at you._

_The next thing you knew, Natasha’s thighs were wrapped around your neck. It was not as much fun as you had thought it would be. She twisted her upper body and for the second time in as many minutes you found yourself slamming into the ground._

_“What was the difference between when you did it and I did it?” She asked, sitting next to you while you stared at the ceiling and groaned._

_“You didn’t completely miss me and send yourself flying?” You asked._

_“Because I knew where I was going, what I was doing. You jumped and would have landed on my shoulders if you didn’t second guess yourself. You have the physical movements down. You might have not been able to actually topple me but you would have been able to wrap your thighs around me. You changed trajectory in mid-air.” She sighed._

_“So in future, jump blindly and hope for the best?” You concluded._

_“In future, trust yourself. You had already made the decision, next time, follow through. If you set out on a course of action you need to trust that you made the right choice and not let anything make you doubt.” She scolded._

_You heard the gym doors open and turned around to see who it was. Natasha didn’t look. Steve looked between you and her with his jaw tightly clenched before he shook his head and stormed back out. You drew your knees up to your chest and wrapped your arms around them, trying to make yourself as small as possible._

_“You’ve set out on this course of action Kotyonok, trust yourself and don’t let anything make you doubt it.” Natasha said knowingly, nudging you with her elbow._

_You took a deep breath and exhaled slowly._

_“Ok, let’s try it again.” You said, jumping to your feet._

~~~Now~~~

“Alright Mischief. I’ll take a leap of faith.” You told him, taking his hand.

 

“Wise choice kitten.” He commended.

 

“I know.” You smirked, squeezing his hand and dropping onto one knee, twisting his arm and lifting, sending him over your shoulder and into the ground behind you.

You didn’t look back, you ran until you collided with the railing. You pushed yourself upwards and turned your head to meet his incensed glare.

 

And then you grabbed the railing and vaulted yourself over it. The last thing you saw was the anger on his face dissipating into confusion and panic, and then you were falling.

 

Loki hurled himself across the rooptop and looked over the railing, half expecting to see your broken body on the ground but you were nowhere to be seen. He frowned, looking around in befuddlement. A low humming noise was all the warning he had before a gust of air forced him backwards and everything clicked into place when the air before him shimmered and the cloaking shield was dropped.  

 

You were stood on the top of a spacecraft, your hair whipping around your face as it rose. He watched as you shrugged of your jacket and knelt down and used it to carefully pick up the Tesseract. He snarled, snatching a knife from his belt and flinging it towards you but it bounced harmlessly off the ships shields and fell to the ground.

 

“You said it yourself Mischief, this planets filled with people for hire. So I hired some.” You called out, waving goodbye to him as the ship ascended.

 

You might not have been able to pick up a signal on your phone but it wasn’t completely useless. There were plenty of videos on it and all you’d had to do was show a group of friendlyish mercs footage of the technology at your disposal. A few images of Tony blasting his replusors and footage of a quinjet in action and they were sold. They’d deliver you back to Earth and in exchange, The Avengers would upgrade their ship and weapons. You were sure Tony would honour the deal you made. Even on this side of the universe it wasn’t what you knew that counted, it was who you knew.

 

All you’d had to do was take a quick swig of liquor when you saw Loki walking down the street and have the Captain of your new crew of allies throw you into his path. Then they had subtly followed you when he dragged you away. You’d seen the ship hovering below you as soon as you’d looked over the railing before Loki had begun berating you and had carefully kicked the Tesseract onto it, letting Loki believe it had fallen to the ground.

 

Now you were going home, back to Steve, Tesseract in hand and Loki could do whatever the hell he wanted. You should have tried to take Loki in as well but you told yourself it would be impossible, you told yourself you couldn’t fight Loki alone. You ignored that voice in your mind telling you that you just didn’t want to take him in and have him locked up. You shoved down that voice telling you that you’d screwed up and when Loki attacked Earth next time it would be your fault. You couldn’t listen to it, you couldn’t think about that.

 

You looked down as the figure of Loki grew smaller the higher the ship carried you and fought down the bile rising in your throat. You had no choice but to do this to him because as much as you wished differently, you and he weren’t on the same side. As charming, alluring and fun as he was, he was still the villain.

 

You walked to the edge of the ship, knowing you had to get inside it soon but wanting a last look at the god who’d wormed his way under your skin. But it wasn’t an angry Loki standing alone you saw. It was an alert Loki whirling around to defend himself as the doors to the roof burst open and a group of armed warriors poured onto the roof.

 

“Shit.” You swore as laser blasts from the alien guns lit up the night.

 

You could see Loki fight back, magic pushing them back and when he engaged in hand to hand combat you smirked despite the situation. You knew you’d been holding back when you fought him but you didn’t realise until now how much he had been holding back as well. He could have killed you if he wanted. Even after you kicked the Tesseract off the roof he’d been more concerned with trying to get you to join him. When you’d abandoned him at the Tavern he had been more irate than murdery.

 

Everything you’d learned about Loki from Shields files painted the picture of a raging psychopath hell-bent on world domination who would kill anyone who stood in his way. Nothing you’d seen since you knew him supported that. He was not everything you’d been told he was. He was dangerous, lethal and filled with hate and anger. He had kidnapped you.

 

But then he had enchanted you with allspeak, because you wanted to be able to connect with another species, he hadn’t understood your wonder but he had done it anyway. He had patiently (for him) explained the different species to you. He had been kind. And the only way you had been able to betray him in the first place was because he had trusted you.

 

 _He had_ _trusted you._

 

From above you watched the fight unfold. There was every chance this was an illusion, a trick of his. But…. If there was even the smallest chance it wasn’t then you couldn’t leave him.

 

“Drop the shields!” You yelled.

 

You heard a confused shout from inside the ship before the shields shimmered.

 

“Sorry Natasha, sometimes trust is just misplaced and you’ve gotta change course because you were wrong.” You whispered.

 

And then without a second thought, you jumped. When you jumped from the roof away from him you’d done it because it was what you were supposed to do, your priority had to be recovering the Tesseract. When you jumped from the ship, towards him you did it because it was what you needed to do, because no matter what sides you were on, you didn’t want to see him come to any harm.

 

You heard the snap in your left leg before you felt it when you landed on the roof but you ignored it, letting the momentum of your fall carry you into a roll. You snatched a discarded gun from a corpse as you came to a halt and aimed it at the enemy closet to Loki, shooting him straight through the shoulder. Luckily the blast knocked him back and he stumbled over the railing, falling to his death. You adjusted your aim and braced for the kickback this time as you fired again, and again. Loki didn’t waste any time being surprised by your reappearance and let loose with a blast of green light, sending more of them sprawling back as he made his way over to you. You were to busy trying to provide him with cover to notice the enemy at your back take aim until Loki dove for you, knocking you out of the way.

 

“You came back.” He said in wonder, looking down at you as you shot the bastard who tried to shoot you.

 

“I did.” You confirmed, pushing him off you and continuing to shoot while you looked around for a way out.

 

“Why?” He asked, ignoring the literal gunfight happening around him.

 

“Can we kiss and make up later, I’m a bit busy right now.” You yelled, barely managing to throw yourself aside to avoid being shot in the head.

 

The sting on your neck and the smell of singed hair let you know you hadn’t been entirely successful.

 

Loki thankfully moved away from you, back into the fray. You knew you would have to have the conversation about why you came back for him eventually but you weren’t sure how it was going to go. What were you supposed to say to him? You couldn’t admit the truth, that there was a war going on inside you and you were torn apart between being loyal to your friends and making Steve proud, and listening to your heart which was slowly starting to attach itself to Loki.

 

You gingerly stretched your leg but the break hadn’t healed yet. Broken bones took longer to heal than broken flesh and it wasn’t going to be able to support your weight yet. Which left you sitting on the ground with a stolen gun that you weren’t sure how to use properly and no idea how much ‘ammo’ was left in. A quick glance to your left showed Loki using magic and knives to take down a good chunk of the enemy but it wasn’t enough. There wasn’t a way to win this, not one you could see. Even if your new friends in the air above were to help, they couldn’t blast your attackers without blasting you and Loki. Which only left one option.

 

“MISCHIEF!” You yelled, reaching under your shirt to pull the wadded up jacket out.

 

He looked over just as you tossed it to him and he caught it, looking surprised when he realised you’d just thrown the Tesseract at him. A blast tore through your upper thigh and you hissed in pain, returning the shot with a more fatal one of your own.

 

“Go!” You shouted to him and a brief second later you looked back to see him holding the Tesseract in his hand before he disappeared in a blue flash.

 

Now you were outgunned and outmanned and everybody on the roof knew it. With startling clarity you realised that you didn’t regret the choice to throw him the Tesseract. There was no way out of this for both of you and even if you knew how to work the Tesseract yourself, you weren’t leaving him a second time. You dropped your stolen gun and held your hands up in surrender. It was your last hope, that they’d let you live long enough for you to fight your way out but if they killed you anyway… well at least Loki was safe.

 

“Take her.” One of them, presumably the leader, snarled.

 

As they approached you felt a breath ruffle your hair and someone wrapped an arm around your torso.

 

“Son of a bitch.” You muttered under your breath.

 

“Is that anyway to talk to your valiant rescuer?” Loki whispered in your ear.

 

He hadn’t really left, he’d just created an illusion that made it look like he had.  

 

He dropped the spell that made him invisible and as the attackers made a collective yell of surprise and raised their guns, he used the Tesseract for real this time, taking you both far away from the rooftop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - @captainamericasbeard was a massive massive help in this chapter. Her notes and feedback were vital and really insightful and she talked me down from fucking hating this whole chapter to begrudgingly posting it (Which is huge for me, I’m stubborn and dramatic and flounce a lot). She’s the best Beta ever.


	7. Abandonment Issues

Being dragged across space by the Infinity Stone wasn’t any more fun the second time around. Added to your injuries it was hellish and by the time you arrived at your new destination you were barely conscious. Your eyes head rolled back in your head and you fell to the side, your skull on a collision course with the ground before a pair of strong arms closed around you and you were cradled against Loki’s chest. Aching and throbbing pains danced across your body as he carefully laid you down and started prodding at your injuries.

 

“Your neck is almost healed.” He said absentmindedly as he ran his hand down your injured leg.

 

He squeezed your knee and a squeak of pain bubbled out of you. He froze and looked at you with surprise and something else you couldn’t quite identify.

 

“What was that noise?” He asked, the corners of his lips twitching.

 

You limply shrugged and he turned his focus back to your leg. You must have been delirious with pain because it sounded like he whispered ‘adorable’ under his breath.

 

“Well the break is healing wrong so I’m afraid I have to break your leg again.” He announced.

 

You didn’t even have a second to react to that before he grabbed your leg with both hands and did exactly what he said he was going to do. The sharp snapping sound was immediately followed by you yelping and then proceeding to use every swear word you knew. In your defence, it hurt more the second time around and the adrenaline had worn off by now.

 

“I hate you.” You snarled at him.

 

“Evidently.” He said sarcastically.

 

“Bite me.” You mumbled, gingerly trying to sit up.

 

“Ask me again when you are less injured and pathetic.” He retorted.  

 

You narrowed your eyes at him as he sat back and watched you struggle to sit up. You quickly checked the would from the laser gun on your thigh, pleased to find that while it was still tender and bruised, the skin had healed. Your leg would take a few hours though. There was a ripping sound that made you look at Loki who was tearing strips off of his cloak.

 

“Whatcha doing mischief?”

 

“Unless you want me to break it again we should ensure it stays in the correct position while it heals.” He pointed out.

 

He carefully tied the strips around your leg, locking the healing bone into place.

 

“So what possessed you to make that foolhardy leap into danger?” He asked, almost casually.

 

“My conscience. What made you not take the Tesseract and abandon me?” You rebutted challengingly.

 

“You came back for me.” He said softly.

 

It sent a jolt of surprise through you to realise he might actually be touched by what you had done.

 

“It proved that you may yet be of use to me.” He added.

 

Not touched then.

 

You rolled your eyes and for the first time looked at your surroundings. You were inside some sort of stone building, like a castle or a temple.

 

“Are we still on The Distillers Planet?” You asked.

 

“No.”

 

He didn’t elaborate any further, he just sat there and stared at you like he was looking for something or waiting for something.

 

“I think we need to talk.” You sighed.

 

“About what?”

 

“Well, do you have any vacation plans?” You asked him.

 

He frowned at you and actually attempted to put his hand on your forehead to check your temperature, assuming you had fallen into deliriousness.

 

“About what just happened!” You snapped, batting his hand away.

 

“I must have been recognised.  Glahn-Betn has spies and soldiers all over the galaxy. I presume his people were on Ciegrem-7 for the same reason I was. Recruitment.”  He explained.

 

“Glen Beten? Is he who we’re up against?” You asked.

 

Loki froze up for a moment before he tilted his head and looked at you curiously.

 

“Glahn-Betn. And is it ‘we’ now, Kitten?” He said lowly, his voice taking on a dangerous tone.

 

“You seem to know this guy pretty well.” You pointed out darkly.

 

Because the way Loki was talking about this Kree insurgent made it painfully obvious he was talking from personal experience.

 

“What did he promise you?” You asked in a pained whisper.

 

Loki looked up at you, unashamedly meeting your eyes.

 

“He was going to give you Midgard right? He’d use his army to take it and when he had the Inhumans he’d leave and you’d be King. Until he found out you had the Tesseract and when you refused to share your toy he turned on you.” You deduced.

 

His expression twisted up into something filled with anger and spite.

 

“You act so disappointed in me but you don’t see the truth. You and I are alike Kitten.” He said coldly.

 

You frowned at his words.

 

“Everything you do is to please the man you consider your father. You’d tear apart the universe, betray anyone, do anything to make him proud. But everything you’re doing goes against your true nature and when he realizes that, he’ll turn on you. You’re not like him Kitten. You’re like me, we just at different points in our journey.” He informed you jubilantly, relishing in the way his words were causing you pain.  

 

“Comparing me to you is one thing Loki, but Steve is not like Odin. He’d never lie to me, he’d never cast me out, he’s not an asshole.” You snapped.

 

“No, he’s nothing like my father. But it won’t matter. You’ll still disappoint him, you’ll let him down. There’s a whole universe out there waiting, are you really content to stay and help The Captain defend a small corner of it? You want more than he can give, you want more than The Avengers can offer you. You might not be _evil_ , you might not want to do bad things, but you’re too fond of chaos and mischief to be a hero.”

 

He was wrong. He had no idea what he was talking about and he was wrong damnit. So why couldn’t you find the words to argue with him?

 

“Prove me wrong. Because your precious Captain wouldn’t let me go, he’d do whatever it took to keep the universe safe from me. Will you? Will you be the hero or will you let your fondness for me stop you from making the wise choice? If any of your teammates were in your position, they would kill me.” He hissed tauntingly.

 

He didn’t think you would do it, that was obvious. Loki really didn’t believe you had it in you to kill him.

 

And he was right.

 

You turned your back on him, hanging your head low as his words echoed through your mind.

 

“When he turns on you and everything you have and everything you thought you were is gone, you’ll be surprised to learn exactly what you are capable of.” He said softly.

 

Before Steve you had nothing, you had been nothing. And then after a set of terrible circumstances you had the blood of a living legend running through your veins. It was a legacy you didn’t take lightly and you’d fought tooth and nail for the chance to make Steve proud. You worked hard for the chance to one day be a hero, like him.

 

But why? Were you really a good person or were you just trying to make Steve proud?

 

Loki’s hand clasped your shoulder, like he was trying to offer comfort. As if he wasn’t the one who had opened up this emotional can of worms.

 

The question that was swirling through your mind, was what if Steve wasn’t a part of the equation? If you weren’t so consumed with doing right by him, then would you still be as torn between doing the right thing and just throwing caution to the wind with Loki?

 

You raised your hand to your shoulder, your fingertips brushing against his.

 

“You’re right. I’m not like Steve.” You sighed.

 

He brushed his thumb across the skin of your neck, making a low noise of sympathy in the back of his throat.

 

“But I’m nothing like you either. I want Steve to be proud of me so badly and I try so hard. If he didn’t see that, if he didn’t care how hard I tried then I wouldn’t fall apart, I wouldn’t turn vindictive.” You added.

 

His fingers tightened almost painfully, digging into your muscle.

 

All it taken were a few choice words and Loki had unravelled you, like tugging at a loose thread on a sweater and watching it fall apart in front of him. The question you should be asking yourself wasn’t who you were, what your motivations were. It was something else entirely.

 

What were Loki’s motivations for doing this to you?

 

“I don’t hate myself so much that the only way I can think of connecting with someone else is by bringing out their darkness.” You said softly.

 

He released you and stepped back. That told you that you’d hit the nail on the head. Loki didn’t know how to work alongside you because you were the good guy and he needed to level the playing field.

 

But the problem was that the only thing Loki had actually done to you that was wrong was kidnapping you and he had done it to escape and to stop Mjolnir smashing him to pieces. The list of good things was much longer. He had forgiven you for incarcerating him and then subsequently tricking him. He had gifted you Allspeak and educated on the different races you had encountered. He had searched for you when you had abandoned him and threatened someone for throwing you. He had massively held back when you fought, not leaving a scratch on you actually. He had stayed and rescued you instead of disappearing with the Tesseract.

 

On the flip side, you’d lost count of the amount of times you’d betrayed, abandoned or attacked him by now. You’d acted like you were justified in your actions and hailed yourself as the hero. But the harsh truth was, you were just a bit of a dick.

 

You turned around to look at him again. He was stood on the other side of the room, as far away from you as he could get. Maybe he was the villain, in fact, he likely was. Maybe you’d regret this, you would probably get hurt for it. But it was time you stopped judging Loki on his reputation and started judging him on his actions. 

 

“I’m sorry, truly.” You said unwaveringly, truthfully, heartfelt.

 

“Why?” He asked derisively.  

 

“I said I didn’t trust you but you haven’t done anything to me to warrant that. I’m the untrustworthy one. It doesn’t matter how you got here or why you’re doing it, you’re trying to save the world. I want to help you.”

 

He slowly advanced on you, his eyes boring into you.

 

“What are you saying Kitten?” He questioned heavily.

 

You took a deep breath, sent out a silent plead for forgiveness from Steve and answered him as he finished his approach, standing tall over you.

 

“I trust you.” You told him.

 

And you meant it. He had never hurt you, he had protected you.

 

“You shouldn’t.” He warned.

 

He bent down and scooped you into his arms, striding across the room with you and setting you down on the window ledge.

 

There was no glass, just a gaping hole in the wall and the cold air hit your back, ruffling your hair. You turned your head to look out but he grabbed your jaw, forcing you to look at him. You didn’t know if this was some kind of twisted trust challenge or what. He gazed into your eyes, his own heavy with emotion that you couldn’t identify.

 

“Thank you.” He said so softly you almost didn’t hear it.

 

Then he let go of you and stepped away, walking backwards until he was ensconced in the shadows. You were confounded by the atmosphere in the room, by the change in his attitude.

 

You looked out of the window, down at the tree’s surrounding the building you were in and the night sky above you. It took a long moment for you to fully realize what you were looking at but it finally clicked into place. Without taking your gaze away from the shining moon you fumbled in your pocket for your phone, glancing down at the screen when you recovered it.

 

The battery was flashing dangerously low but the signal bar… the signal bar was full.

 

You were on Earth.

 

Loki had taken you home. You looked up at him in horror, knowing now what the change in his attitude was for.

 

“No!” You yelled as you saw the Tesseract clutched in his hand.

 

Your phone clattered to the ground as you threw yourself away from the window, putting as much weight on your injured leg as you could and launching yourself at him. Everything stilled for a moment, like you were frozen as your frantic eyes met his resigned ones across the room.

 

And then everything sped up again and somewhere in the distance you swore you heard Steve’s voice yelling your name as your body collided with Loki’s as the blue glow enveloped you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - New Story Summary! This one is a bit better at describing the story I think? I hope you liked this chapter :) As always my needy ass would love to hear what you thought.


	8. Poison Planet

You were getting kind of used to the Tesseract, so much so that you barely noticed the stomach churning sensation it gave, too concerned with the sharp pain in your leg. Because you had thrown yourself at him, Loki was sent sprawling onto the ground, you on top of him.

 

“You keep going to more and more violent lengths to straddle me.” He snarked.

 

“You were going to leave me.” You gasped breathlessly.

 

His hands clasped your forearms and you were rolled over, positions reversed as your back pressed into the dirt and Loki’s body pressing into you.

 

“I granted your wish, I took you home! Your Captain came for you. You could have been free so why for Norns sake did you follow me?” He demanded, practically yelling.

 

You weakly pushed him off of you, your lungs constricting painfully. You squinted and looked around at the desolate wasteland of rubble and stone you’d hijacked your way onto. The dirt beneath you was pale, almost creamy coloured. There was no plantlife to be found anywhere. It was warm, too warm and you attributed that to the massive volcano that was about a mile away.

 

“Where… are…. We?” You gasped.

 

Loki’s eyes were wide as he stared down at you and he actually looked afraid for a brief moment before the fear melted into a more familiar anger. You weren’t overly concerned with Loki’s face at the moment though, you were more concerned with trying to breathe. No matter how deeply you inhaled or how much air you dragged into your screaming lungs it wasn’t enough, you were suffocating. Or at least it felt that way but when a violent pain twisted inside your chest and coppery tasting liquid rose up your throat you realised it wasn’t that you weren’t getting enough oxygen that was the problem, it was that the oxygen was tainted.

 

Whatever planet you were on, it was poisonous.

 

It felt like something inside your chest ripped open and the force of the cough that racked through you made you turn onto your side and curl into a ball, blood spraying from your lips and splashing onto the pale dirt. Loki’s arm wrapped around your waist, pulling you upright into a sitting position and settling you against his chest.  

 

“It would serve you right if I just let the toxicity of this planet take it’s toll on you.” He seethed, practically vibrating with anger.

 

Still, even as he spoke, he tilted a small vial he’d recovered from somewhere to your lips and poured the liquid past your lips. It tingled against your tongue and all the way down your throat in an uncomfortable sensation. Almost immediately you found you could breath easier as the potion and your own enhanced healing combined. Loki’s hands were clutching you just above your waist and you figured out he was feeling your breathing, monitoring the rise and fall of your ribs as your lungs expanded.

 

“Are you recovered?” He asked snippely.

 

“Yes.” You admitted, preparing yourself for his wrath.

 

You weren’t disappointed as he shoved you away from him and rose to his feet, pacing across the ground.

 

“Insolent, mortal brat. You demanded I take you home and when I acquiesce you aren’t satisfied.” He raged, more to himself than you.

 

It continued on for a couple of minutes, insults being hurled your way as he paced out his frustration. At some point he must have noticed you were being uncharacteristically quiet and turned around to intimidate you with a glare.

 

“You done?” You asked calmly from your position on the ground.

 

His lip curled into a sneer, his teeth bared in a ferocious snarl.

 

“You weren’t going to leave me there. If you were, you wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of trying to turn me against Steve. You only ran away when you realized I trusted you.” You said, cutting across whatever biting remark he had been about to hurl at you.

 

His face remained impassive and cold but you saw a myriad of emotions flash in his eyes as he stared you down.

 

“Maarin.” He said abruptly, gesturing with his arms at the planet around you.

 

“Ok, so Maarin? Why are we here?” You asked calmly, rolling with the change in subject for now.

 

“My plan of hiring cutthroats to infiltrate Glahn-Betn’s army and assassinate him isn’t going as well as I had hoped, so I have moved on to another idea.” He snipped.

 

“That’s what we were doing? Hiring assassins?” You asked, bemused.

 

“Do you disapprove, Kitten?” He sneered.

 

“I count at least two former assassins amongst my family so no, not really. Beats waiting for Glahn and his army to arrive on Earth for a massive battle… let’s avoid that if we can.” You suggested.

 

“Good. Then there’s something I need to recover on this planet that will kill him. You’ll wait here.” He decided.

 

“Beg your pardon?”

 

“Stay.” He ordered, attempting to walk away from you.

 

“I’m not going to sit around and wait for you, I’m coming with you. I can help you.” You insisted, distress flooding your tone.

 

“Oh yes, between the twice broken leg and the lungs full of blood I can see how you could be helpful to me.” He pointed out.

 

“I’ll manage. You are not leaving me behind.” You snapped, hobbling to your feet.

 

You did not wince and you definitely didn’t tear up.

 

“You can’t even stand up on your own.” He sighed.

 

“Might I remind you that I saved your life on this broken leg already today?” You argued petulantly.

 

“I’ll make you a deal. If you can walk to that boulder and back without stumbling, you can come with me.” He bartered.

 

You turned around to look at the boulder he was gesturing to. It was about twenty metres away.

 

Easy.

 

You straightened your spine as stiffly walked towards it, keeping your broken leg as straight as possible and putting as little weight on it as you could. You looked like an idiot and you knew it. Eventually you made It to the boulder and shot Loki a thumbs up. He watched you stiffly walk back towards him with a strangely patient expression. He didn’t point out that it had taken you five minutes or that all the blood had drained from your face. He was being uncharacteristically patient with you come to think of it…

 

“Oh son of a bitch.” You snapped.

 

“Problem, Kitten?”

 

“You can drop the illusion you dick.” You huffed.

 

He smirked cheekily at you and then with a ripple the illusion dissipated.

 

You made it back to the small dip in the rocks you’d started from, slagging him off under your breath the whole way. You weren’t sure which direction he had sneaked off in while his illusion kept you distracted and you didn’t really feel like wandering around the creepy dead planet on a broken leg looking for him, so begrudgingly you decided to take his advice. He’d left his cloak shoved up into a bundle on the ground and you let out a huff of amused laughter. You were at the base of a volcano, did he think you were going to get chilly?

 

You nudged it into place, intending to use it as a pillow when you felt something hard enclosed within the soft green material. Tentatively unwrapping it you sucked in a breath when your efforts revealed the Tesseract.

 

Loki had willingly, almost casually, left the Infinity Stone with you. You gaped at it as you tried to figure out what the hell he had been thinking.

 

He used his magic to stash it god (of Mischief) knows where so he hadn’t left it because he didn’t want to carry it. You couldn’t directly touch it, never mind work it so he hadn’t left it with the intention of you using it. The only logical explanation was that he had left it as a promise that he would come back. He would know that you knew he wouldn’t abandon it, he would come back for it if not for you.

 

It was an unnecessary gesture, it hadn’t even crossed your mind that he would leave you alone on a dead planet but you still felt a warmth blooming in your chest at his actions. Didn’t mean you weren’t still going to kick his ass when he returned. Resting your head on a smoothish rock, you tucked the covered Tesseract under your arm  and waited for Loki to return. Between the heat and the pain and the exhausting and long day you’d had, your body made it’s need for rest known and your eyes drifted shut, much needed sleep pulling you under.

 

~~~Meanwhile on Earth~~~

 

“She was there! She was right there and we lost her again.” Steve snapped.

 

He had heard you, he had heard your panicked cry, your scream of ‘no’ and he had ran towards it with fervour but he had been too slow, too late. All that remained to prove you had ever been there was a smashed phone.

 

As soon as Friday had picked up the signal from your Starkphone, he, Bucky, Sam, Natasha and Wanda had rushed onto a quinjet and headed for you but it had been for nothing.

 

“Steve.” Sam sighed, trying to calm his friend down but it was futile.

 

Sam shot a helpless look at Bucky who was equally at a loss.  

 

“Loki’s toying with us. He brought her back to taunt us, left her phone as part of his twisted game. But now we know she’s alive and if Loki’s using her to try and get to us it’s for a reason. He’ll bring her back again and this time we’ll be ready for him.” Bucky said.

 

It was the only comfort he had for his friend.

 

“I’m going to kill him.” Steve said, deadly calm and the determined anger in his voice was worryingly out of character.

 

“Then we need a plan. We need to make sure that the next time Loki steps foot on this planet, we’re ready for him.” Sam agreed.

 

“Way ahead of you.” Tony announced, swishing into the room.

 

“Friday, send a muffin basket to Strange for me. We owe him big time for this one.” Tony said with a twinkle in his eye.

 

“What have you got Tony?” Steve asked, standing up attentively.

 

“Well Spangles, if you wanna kill Reindeer Games, I have just the thing to help you.”

 

~~~Back on Maarin~~~

 

He would have never come to this planet that served as a graveyard if he hadn’t been growing desperate. Everyday Glahn-Betn’s army grew stronger and when he took Midguard and added the ‘Inhumans’ to his numbers, he would be unstoppable. When he had left you on Earth, knowing your self-appointed father was rushing to rescue you, he had decided on this risky course of action. He hadn’t expected you to stubbornly refuse to be left behind.

 

He seethed with palpable rage as he thought as the way you’d carelessly flung your body at his, tagging along to this destination before he could stop you or change course. As soon as you had arrived your pathetically frail mortal body had succumbed to the virus that had killed all biological lifeforms on Maarin centuries ago. He know the virus that lived in the artificial plants inside this volcano was strong enough to kill any biological life, it was why he was here after all. He hadn’t realized how quickly a human would succumb to it. Thankfully, he was stronger. It would take longer for an immortal to succumb.

 

He should have let you die. It would have been safer and far simpler but to his chagrin he had found himself pouring the anti-dote down your throat without a seconds doubt.

 

You were supposed to help him manipulate The Avengers into helping him, you were his way to them. But you had to ruin it all by _trusting him_. Your apology had been sickening, it was so sincere.

 

As the first rattling cough tore through him, he thought that he should have let you die.

 

When he had to pause to try and find his breath, he thought to himself that he hated that you were clever enough to trick him.

 

It was when he first tasted the blood in his mouth that he thought about how he hated that you were  stupid enough to trust him.

 

When he had to lean against the steaming walls of the inner volcano he told himself he hated your doe eyed looks of awe and wonder, your absolute devotion to beauty, your desire to interact with even the lowest of creature.

 

He gathered the plant he had been searching for into a small vial and comforted himself with how much hated the way you burned with loyalty to the Captain, the way your eyes softened when you thought of The Avengers and the way you loved with your whole soul.

 

He tried to stand but his superior strength finally failed him and his knees hit the dirt, his mind consumed with how much he hated the way you had barely held him off, even when he held back in their fights but you had sat on the ground with a broken leg and massacred dozens of Glahn-Betn’s men.

 

Your kindness, your strength, your spirit, your wonder, your loyalty, your beauty… he hated it all.

 

His last thought as he collapsed on the ground in pool of his own blood was that he was glad beyond belief that he had left the Tesseract in your care because if he wasn’t going to make it off this planet, at least you would.

 

~~~

 

You didn’t know how long days lasted on this planet so you couldn’t be sure how long you had been asleep but your leg was almost fully healed so it had been several hours at least. The bone was stiff but it was no more than a slight hinderance as you climbed up the steep side of the Volcano, heading towards the gaping hole about a quarter of the way up it.

 

Of all the places on this planet you could have landed, it probably wasn’t coincidence you were here. Or you hoped not. Loki hadn’t returned and so you tried your best to guess where he had gone and had set after him.

 

The closer you got to the volcano, the more unbearable the heat became and you shifted the Tesseract in your arms so you could use your sleeve to wipe the sweat from your brow and push your damp hair back.

 

“Couldn’t have stayed on Earth, could you? No, we had to follow the god of grumpiness to the deadly planet so we could crawl inside a volcano.” He muttered to yourself.

 

You weren’t sure what the hell you’d been thinking but despite you’re bitching, you couldn’t deny that you were exhilarated. Being an Avenger felt right and you were proud of the things you achieved as a part of the team, but there was something infinitely more fun about being with Loki. You never knew what was going to happen next, in the best way. It was an adventure. You were still working towards a noble goal, you were still trying to save people but you were less constricted by rules and regulations while doing it. You felt more like a superhero and less like a super powered police officer.

 

You had spent so much energy trying to mould yourself into Steve’s image that you hadn’t stopped to consider that maybe it just wasn’t the best fit. Now you were finally admitting that while making Steve proud would always be your prime motivation, you didn’t want to have to stuff your square shaped self into a round hole to do it.

 

You wanted _this_. Adventure and danger and the challenge. To have to use your mind as much as your body to fight, to save people and not just the people of Earth. The universe was vast and glorious and terrifying and you wanted to be a part of it. You wanted to see it for yourself, to make your own choices. Like trusting Loki, even if it was the exact opposite of what The Avengers would want you to do. It didn’t matter what his motivations were, he was the only one who even knew about the army coming for your planet. He was intelligent and sly and he knew the enemy, Loki was Earth’s best chance.

 

And more selfishly, he made you think in ways you’d never thought before, he challenged you in ways you didn’t know you needed to be challenged. He had brought back a spark of light into your life you had unknowingly needed. You had been living for duty and somewhere along the line you had forgotten how to be alive. He had barged in and dragged you into his world and in the process, reawakened your soul.

 

When you went home to Steve, it wouldn’t be as the same person who had left. And even if Loki wasn’t aware of it, you owed him for that.

 

“Mischief?” You called gently into the dark entrance to the volcano.

 

The only response was your own voice echoing off the narrow tunnel. You tentatively stepped inside, following the tunnel for what felt like forever as your eyes adjusted to the darkness. The heat was stifling and you felt like you were being cooked, sweat pouring from you and soaking your clothes through. Still, you kept a steady pace as you ventured further into the volcano until you reached a dead end.

 

You squinted in the darkness at the wall ahead. You’d wasted your time coming this way and ignoring the stabbing feeling of dread in your gut you took a moment to collect your thoughts and reassess. Loki had been gone for too long and you were worried. The virus hadn’t seemed to affect him but that didn’t mean he hadn’t ran into some other kind of trouble. You had no idea what kind of creatures were native to this world or whether Glahn-Betn’s men had managed to track Loki here. You needed to find him and soon.

 

Stepping closer to the wall to check you hadn’t missed a hole or entrance in the darkness you shrieked in surprise when you realised too late that the floor beneath you had given way to a steep tunnel that led under the wall.  

 

Small stones and rubble dug into your skin as you helplessly slid down the steep incline, clutching the Tesseract to your chest and closing your eyes you sped downwards, into the heart of the volcano. Your extremely heroic yell of bravery tapered off as you came to a skidding halt and cautiously opened your eyes.

 

The sweltering core of the volcano was home to a lush, colourful garden. Thousands of red and orange flowers nestled in leaves of bright green bloomed all along the ground, lining the rivers and pools of glowing magma. And despite the overpowering heat, your blood ran cold. Because there, in the middle of the breath-taking scene, lay Loki.

 

You scrambled to your feet and ran across the cavernous space to him, jumping over a stream of molten lava without hesitation. He looked lifeless and the closer you got to him, the worse he looked.

 

“Mischief!” You skid to a halt, throwing yourself onto the ground next to him as you desperately grabbed at him, looking for a pulse.

 

Sticky pools of blood surrounded his head and you pushed two fingers against his neck, almost collapsing in relief when a weak but steady pulse was found. His chest was barely moving, rising and falling almost imperceptibly every few moments.

 

“Mischief? Mischief wake up. Please?” You whispered, nudging him.

 

He didn’t stir. His skin was even more pale than usual if that were possible and it made the spots of red blood on his lips even more startlingly bright. He looked almost peaceful, like he was just blissfully dreaming but you couldn’t believe that lie. He was dying.

 

“Shit.” You breathed out the curse as you came to the inevitable conclusion that you had to pick up the Tesseract, whether you wanted to or not.

 

You had thus far managed to avoid touching the cube directly. You were only human, even if you were enhanced. It was more than possible that you wouldn’t be able to wield the Tesseract and you were terrified to find out if it were true. Even if you could pick it up, you didn’t know how to use it but Loki must have believed you could wield it, because that was the real reason he had left it with you wasn’t it? He had succumbed to the virus that infected this planet even though the anti-dote had worked on you, which meant he hadn’t taken it. He had been determined to get to the volcano as quickly as possible because he knew he was infected. He had given you the only anti-dote he possessed and given you the way home in case he didn’t make it.

 

Was this why he had tried to leave you on Earth? Had you killed him in your stubborn refusal to be left behind?

 

No. He wasn’t going to die. You would save him if it killed you.

 

“Hold on Mischief, hold on for me ok?” You begged, scooting closer to him and wrapping an arm across his Torso, clutching onto him as tightly as you could.

 

With your other hand you unwrapped the Tesseract from his cloak. You needed to just try and use all your mental energy to ‘steer’. Loki needed a doctor so in your mind you conjured a mental image of Banners lab. You thought of the shining steel worktops, the mountains of files and textbooks, the glass walls reflecting everything within, the herbal scent of the tea that always lingered in the room. You grasped onto the memory of Bruce’s soothing voice, his intelligent eyes peering over his wire rimmed glassed and with that mental image captured perfectly in your head, you grasped the Tesseract in your hand.

 

And you screamed.

 

_Long, pale blue grass fluttered in the breeze as white sunlight danced across the sky. A child, no more than six skipped through the grass, his golden curls bouncing on his head as he ran towards the village of mud and brick houses, decorated with colourful straw and paint._

_“Look, I found one!” The child called._

_A woman stepped out of the hut, her amber eyes twinkling with delight as she knelt beside the boy and held her hands cupped in front of her so he could gently deposit the small green snake in her palms._

_“Well done Ereshelorkalar. She’s young but filled with elixir. Her venom will save a lot of lives.” The woman praised in her gentle, melodic voice._

Cold fire burned at the skin of your hand as you came back to reality. The Tesseract seemed to throb under your palm, encouraging you. Somehow, The Tesseract had showed you where you needed to go. You didn’t have time to question how or why, or whether it was real.  

 

“Take me there.” You begged.

 

You tightened your grip on Loki, curling your body into his and laying your head on his chest, concentrating on the weak thump of his heart as the now familiar gut churning sensation began and the pain in your hand intensified, travelling up your arm. You squeezed your eyes closed and prayed with every thing you had, every shred of your soul.

 

And when you opened your eyes again, you saw pale blue grass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - I don’t know if I mentioned it already but all the planets and races in this fic are taken from the Marvel Comics. I did a lot of research into races, naming, planets etc so it was all canon (ish). 
> 
> And this chapter was the most work i have ever put into a fic, I tried really hard with this one. It took me a while to write and ended up being twice as long as usual so I hope that’s ok! I really hope you enjoyed it and as always, would love to know your thoughts (be they good or bad).


	9. Marital Bliss

You carefully balanced the basin of warm water against your hip and readjusted the tray of food you were carrying so you could push the open the door of the hut. Nothing had changed since you were last there an hour ago.

 

“Come on Sleeping Beauty, I know you’re healed, you’re just being lazy now.” You muttered.

 

Loki’s sleeping form didn’t stir at your words, just like he hadn’t since you’d arrived on this new planet. You put the tray down on the stool next to his bed and perched yourself on the edge of the mattress. You’d already wiped the worst of the blood from his face and neck before you’d been forced to get some rest yourself, but you’d brought a basin of warm water to see if you couldn’t do something that made you feel useful.

 

Picking up the soft cloth from the water and squeezing it you gently started wiping at his skin.

 

“Now would be a fantastic time for you to wake up and tease me about giving you a sponge bath.” You told him hopefully.

 

Nothing.

 

You dropped the cloth back into the basin with a splash and sighed heavily. You were getting impatient for him to wake, confident assurances from the natives that he was alright just weren’t enough to sooth your frazzled nerves. You needed to hear his voice and see the perpetual twinkle of mischief in his eyes before you could truly believe he was healed. You ran your hands through his hair, working out the few knots with your fingers and lamenting the fact that he could collapse inside a volcano and spent a whole day in a hospital bed and still have great hair.

 

Long, icy fingers closed tightly around your wrist and you squeaked in surprise and pain.

 

“Kitten?” Loki murmured before he opened his eyes.

 

“Mischief!”

 

“What.. Oooft.” He grunted as without thinking about it, you threw yourself at him, wrapping your arms around his shoulders.

 

You were too relieved to care about the spectacle you were making of yourself as you buried your face in his neck and blinked back tears. You didn’t really register that you were half lying on top of him until he shifted underneath you and his hands slid across your back until you were wrapped up in his arms. Your breath whooshed out in one long shuddering breath as the tension you’d been carrying for days eased and you melted into the embrace.

 

“Please don’t ever do that again.” You whispered against his throat.

 

“I assure you Kitten, I won’t be going back to that planet again any time soon.” He said with a hint of amusement.

 

You sat up and he slowly loosened his hold, his hands brushing across your back and settling on your hips and you saw the slight confusion in his eyes as they took in the tunic you were wearing.

 

“Where are we?” He asked urgently.

 

“This village is called ‘Beyond the Blue Grass’. I’m sure it sounds more poetic in the native tongue but I’m only hearing it in English, everything sounds like English to me now. But we’re on the Planet Clarius.” You told him, trying to hand him a plate of yellow bread from the tray.

 

“Why did you bring us here?” He asked, taking the plate from you and shoving it back onto the tray.

 

“The Clavians had a way to heal you.” You told him, utterly invested in the flight of a tiny mosquito-like bug that had flown in through the window.

 

“Look at me.” He demanded.

 

You finally did and his gaze was speculative.

 

“How did you know about this small race on this insignificant planet, and how did you know to bring me here?” He asked slowly, suspiciously.

 

“I had a hunch?” You tried with a shrug.

 

He raised an eyebrow at you and when you didn’t elaborate any further his hand shot forward at lightning speed and closed around your elbow, dragging you closer to the bed.

 

“Ow, what are you, no, stop. Mischief stop!” You argued, trying in vain to wriggle away.

 

But Loki was determined to unwrap the bandage that covered you from hand to elbow, hissing with displeasure as he uncovered the charred and broken skin underneath.

 

“It’s healing but slower than human slow.” You admitted softly.

 

“The Tesseract did this?” He clarified and you nodded.

 

“If you had just used it to go home you would have been perfectly fine.” He snapped, shoving your arm away.

 

“You’re saying I only got burned because I overused the Tesseract?” You asked, surprised.

 

It actually made sense. You had been given a vision of some sort and then taken Loki with you, if you had just jumped home maybe you wouldn’t have gotten so burned.

 

“How did these people heal me?” He asked, looking around at the sparse interior of the small hut.

 

You hesitated before you answered.

 

“If I tell you, you have to promise me that you won’t tell anybody. They’re a peaceful people Mischief, they aren’t prepared for the chaos that would happen if others knew what they had here.” You bargained.

 

He looked curious at your sudden protectiveness and nerves.

 

“I’m the god of lies, Kitten. My promise means nothing.”

 

“It means something to me. If you give me your word, I’ll believe you.” You told him.

 

He looked taken aback for a moment and immediately tried to hide it with a mocking sneer, but you’d seen it.

 

“Very well, _I promise to keep this secret._ ” He said pompously.

 

“There’s a snake native to this planet. The males venom is deadly but the females venom can heal anything. Any disease, any injury. The Tesseract showed it to me and took us here.” You revealed.

 

“It can heal anything?” Loki asked, sitting up, unable to hide the thread of excitement in his eyes.

 

“Yes, but..”

 

“Why not use it to heal your arm?” He interrupted.

 

“Because they don’t have an unlimited source. The snakes are rare and my arm will heal on it’s own in time. It would be a waste.” You explained.

 

“So they used it on me and not on you?” He scoffed, affronted by the revelation.

 

“You were dying, do you understand that Mischief? When I found you, you were covered in blood, barely breathing. You were _dying._ ” You snapped.

 

For the second time in as many minutes, Loki looked surprised.

 

“That’s why you tried to leave me behind, isn’t it? Because you knew that Maarin was toxic.” You whispered.

 

“No. The virus shouldn’t have affected an Asgardian, it must have mutated in the centuries since anyone was last there. If I had known it posed a danger to me, I would not have wasted the anti-dote on you. Regardless, by the time I realised I was infected it was too late, so your presence made no difference.” He said.

 

“You know, considering you’re the god of lies, I think that’s the first time you’ve ever outright lied to me. Oh you’ve manipulated the truth, omitted things you should have told me but this is the first real lie.” You laughed humourlessly.

 

He sat up and leant in close, invading your personal space.

 

“You think I would willingly endanger myself for you? There are very few people I would risk myself for Kitten and you are not one of them, much less someone I would lie to just to spare their feelings. You strongly overestimate your worth. “ He spat hatefully.

 

His words sent a stab of pain straight through your heart and he leaned back victoriously when he saw it in your eyes.

 

“Fine.” You snapped, standing up.

 

“Where is The Tesseract now?” He demanded.

 

“Safe. You can have it back when we’re ready to leave. Since you’re feeling better, eat something and then the baths are that way. Clean yourself up.” You said coldly, gesturing towards the bathroom.

 

“I am a Prince, I don’t take orders from mortals.” He snapped back, equally as cold.

 

“Suit yourself, but you still have blood in your hair… Your Highness.” You informed him, sweeping into a low, mocking bow and backing out of the hut.

 

~~~

 

The “bath” was just a hollowed out hole in the stone floor. At least whatever primitive planet he’d landed on had figured out the wonders of plumbing because it did have running warm water and he was glad to have the blood and dirt washed from his skin before he used his seiðr to conjure fresh clothing. He almost conjured clothing for you as well before he decided to let you settle for the ill fitting rags you’d presumably gotten from the natives.

 

He’d been telling the truth when he said there were few people he’d willingly endanger himself for. He’d lied when he said that you weren’t one of them. Of course he had know the virus would affect him, he had just hoped he could escape the planet before that happened. But he absolutely had not lied to spare your feelings, at least not because he cared. He just didn’t want your guilt interfering with your ability to do this mission.

 

The lie he told himself was so flimsy it was transparent. Everything he knew about you showed him that you were someone with unwavering loyalty, if you thought he had nearly died for you then there would be no lengths you wouldn’t go to for him. You would be far more useful if you knew the truth. But he had lied anyway and pushed you away.

 

Better to let you think he didn’t care than be consumed with guilt about what had happened. Even if your guilt prompted you to do strange things, like embrace him.

 

He was a god but he was still a man and there was no harm in admitting to himself that he had enjoyed the way you had felt in his arms. The fluttering of his heart when he had felt your body against his was not an admittance of fondness.

 

But when he made his way back into the room and over to the second bed, he recognised the folded up clothes on the pillow and it was nothing if not fondness for the woman who wore them that made him repair the tears and scrubbed out bloodstains until they were practically brand new.

 

“Norns.” He muttered to himself, rubbing his temples.

 

He could tell himself he didn’t care for you as much as he liked, his actions kept proving otherwise. You, an annoying mortal brat had _somehow_ sneaked past all his defences and crawled under his skin.

 

Which would make it all the more painful when you returned to your rightful place amongst your teammates and you and he were on opposite sides once again. For now you had a common enemy and a common goal and that had blurred the lines. But sooner or later everything would go back to how it should be and he had already tried to tug at the bonds that tied you to your father, to no avail. He could be as fond of you as he liked, it would make no difference in the end.

 

He flicked his wrist and returned your clothes to their original state of disrepair. With a long suffering sigh he stood up and walked towards the door, pausing at the last second and resisting the urge to slam his fist into the doorframe. With one final burst of seiðr he repaired the clothing _again_.

 

It would probably make you smile and damnit, he liked it when you smiled at him. If you were to leave him then he was going to enjoy your friendship while he had it.

 

He stepped out of the hut and froze at what he saw, stepping back into the shadows before he could be noticed. He wanted to observe this, to see if he could figure out what you were doing. Because you couldn’t possibly be doing _chores_ , even if that’s what it looked like. With a basket in one hand and a strange child balancing on your hip he watched as you handed the basket to an old woman at her hut and then went back for another, chattering away to the child as you moved. Every person you passed would stop and greet you, smiling with friendliness and yet not one of them noticed the way your expression was taught or the way your arm trembled as you flexed it.

 

A low growl of annoyance rumbled from his chest as he stormed over to you, ripping the basket you’d just picked up out of your grasp.

 

“What are you doing?” He hissed.

 

“Marallarker, this is Mischief, can you say hello?” You cooed at the young boy on your hip, ignoring Loki’s attitude like he was no more than a buzzing insect.

 

The boy shyly ducked his head, burying his face in your hair as he mumbled out a greeting. Loki stood there dumbly, blinking at you as he waited for an explanation.

 

“The teenagers take the laundry down to the river and clean everything, I’m helping them hand it back.” You explained.

 

A wizened old man trotted over and took the boy from you with a smirk, looking between you and Loki.

 

“Come along Marallarker, let the Sky Lady talk with her husband.” He said.

 

Loki’s eyes snapped to you in disbelief as you blushed heavily and tried to look anywhere but at him.

 

“What did he say?” Loki asked.

 

Surely he’d misheard.

 

“Sky Lady. It’s what they call me, they think I dropped from the Sky.”

 

“The other part.” He said sarkily.

 

“I tried explaining that you weren’t my husband. I don’t think they believed me.” You said softly, looking at the ground.

 

“And why didn’t they believe you, Kitten? What did you do that made them think you might love me?” He asked, not even trying to hide the smirk on his face.

 

He was rather enjoying this embarrassed, almost timid side to you.

 

“I was a little upset when I thought you were dying, alright? Sue me.” You snapped, violently yanking the basket back from his and stomping off with it.

 

“Don’t over-exert yourself, _wife_.” He called after you, chuckling when you glanced over your shoulder to glare daggers at him.

 

He looked around for the old man and fixed a jovial smile on his face as he headed in that direction. He was not at full strength yet, and your arm was badly injured. This seemed a good place to recuperate, and in the process he could question the villagers about just how upset you were over his almost death.

 

“May I sit?” He asked politely as he approached the man who was sat on a bench outside his hut, watching over a small group of children playing in the grass not far from him.

 

The old man inclined his head and gave Loki a knowing smile.

 

“You’ll find this bench has a good view.” The man said with a twinkle in his eyes.

 

“Indeed it does.” Loki chuckled as he watched you do a double take when you saw him staring at you.

 

He waved with faux friendliness and you narrowed your eyes at him before you turned your back on him and flounced away, deliberately ignoring him.

 

~~~

 

You’d kind of fallen in love with the way the community worked. The younger adults all pulled together to handle the more physical chores, working away during the day and as evening fell, the elders would all cook, bringing dishes out of their huts and sharing them with everyone. Everybody looked after the children and it made you think of the Earth saying “It takes a Village to raise a child”. Nobody had asked you to get involved or help out but when you’d automatically started helping a group of people who were shearing some kind of corn, they’d immediately accepted you. Marallarker wasn’t the first child to be in your care since you’d arrived.

 

They had saved Loki’s life and treated your wound, it was the least you could do. And Loki didn’t need to know that they had actually tried to give you the elixir for your arm, but you had refused once they’d explained how rare it was.

 

There was so much kindness and generosity in these people. They hadn’t asked where you had come from or how you had gotten here, even if you could tell they were curious. They had simply helped you without asking for anything in return. It was why you’d extracted a promise from Loki, you were afraid of what would happen if someone came to take what the Clavians had. You didn’t want to see the sanctity of this place destroyed.

 

You ignored Loki’s glare burning holes in your back as you worked, delivering clean laundry back to the right huts, stopping every so often to admire a painting on the walls. The Clavians decorated the outside’s of their homes as well as the insides, sharing their creativity and personalities with their neighbours. You wondered how Tony would react if you decorated the corridor your room was in. You shared the corridor with Steve and Bucky and you could see Steve at least being excited about the idea.

 

Though you refused to look at him, you could see Loki out of the corner of your eye. He was deep in conversation with Elder, the clan chief. Though the children all had names, you were told that when they came of age, they picked a new one. People here had names that described them, rather than what you would class as a name on Earth. Like you were Sky Lady. Names could change over the course of one’s life, like Elder had been called Doeer Hunter before he became the chief, chosen for his age and wisdom.

 

When you had learnt of their customs regarding names, you had happily told them Loki was called Mischief. You hoped Elder was wise enough to hold his own against the god of Mischief but you had a sneaking suspicion he would all too willingly regale Loki with how they had found you in the grass, clutching Loki to your chest and begging them to help him. For the next few hours you had refused to leave his side as they worked, clutching Loki’s hand and pleading with him to come back to you. You had been overwrought with emotion and paralyzing fear but now that he was fine you were just feeling regret and embarrassment. You’d whispered things to the sleeping god that you hoped he never found out about, things you shouldn’t have said.

 

_“I think I’m falling in love with you, Mischief.”_

In the best timed case of bad timing, Loki’s head suddenly snapped around to stare at you incredulously. Either Elder had just told him something dramatic or Loki could read your thoughts. You saw him excuse himself before he set his sights on you again and started stalking towards you, like a tiger coming for it’s prey. You slowly walked backwards but when he got close enough for you to see the anger dancing across his face you lost your cool and turned around, jogging quickly towards the long blue grass. His footsteps echoed behind you, closer than they should have been and you put on a burst of speed, suddenly sprinting through the grass.

 

The further through the fields you got, the longer the grass was, until you had to put your hands in front of you to stop it hitting you in the face as you ran. If you could just make it to the woods you knew were at the other side of the field you could hide there until you came up with a better plan. But you never made it that far because Loki’s hand clasped the back of your tunic and you were yanked backwards. Ignoring your sharp yip of surprise he stared down at you with unconcealed fury.

 

“They offered you the elixir and you _refused_?” He practically yelled.

 

“Oh. Ohhhh.” You said eloquently.

 

“You’re taking it.” He informed you, walking back the way you had come and dragging you backwards with him.

 

“Mischief, wait. Wait. WILL YOU STOP DRAGGING ME AROUND YOU CAVEMAN?” You yelled, twisting until you managed to free yourself.

 

He made a grab for you again but you danced out of his reach.

 

“Listen, they don’t have a lot of it. If I take it, they might not be able to save someone’s life next time. “ You argued, putting your hands up to try and halt his approach.

 

“I don’t care.” He said blithely, slapping your arms out of the way and grabbing you by the scruff of the neck.

 

He started walking back towards the village again, ignoring your protests and wriggling.

 

“If you make me take it I’ll… I won’t tell you where I hid the Tesseract.” You cried desperately.

 

“I’ll find it anyway.” He shrugged, his pace not even faltering.

 

“Mischief it’s just some burns. It’s not that bad.” You pleaded.

 

He went back to ignoring you.

  
“Why do you even care?” You snapped.

 

That made him stop and he looked down at you in disbelief.

 

“I’m not on your list of people you give a damn about right? So why the fuck do you care if I’m in pain?” You pushed.

 

“You’re of no use to me if you can’t fight properly, your arm could hinder you.” He tried to explain.

 

“You don’t need a fighter, that’s why you risked your life for this.” You argued, slipping the glass vial out of your pocket.

 

The one he’d had on him when he collapsed, the one you’d discovered when you were wiping blood and sweat from his skin. The one with a flower from the volcano safely enclosed inside. He’d told you that there was something on Maarin that would help him defeat Glahn-Betn and when you’d found the vial you’d figured out his plan.

 

“You don’t need me to be able to fight if you’re just going to unleash a virus on Glahn-Betn’s army.” You hissed, tossing the vial at him.

 

His face was carefully blank as he released you and caught it.

 

“Well done, I thought I’d dropped it and our trip to Maarin had been for nothing.” He praised.

 

“Well now you have your weapon and there’s no need to force feed me the elixir.” You said smugly.

 

He looked at the vial in his hand like it had the answer to an important question before he finally looked back at you with a carefully guarded expression.

 

“There’s something you should know. This Virus will decimate all living things it is breathed in by. If I do this, it will be genocide.” He explained.

 

That threw you and your eyes immediately flickered down to the vial. So much destruction contained in such a small jar. For a long, long moment you just stared at it before you squared your shoulders and looked back up at him.

 

“Alright, I’ll admit it, I wasn’t expecting you to be hesitant about something like that but if it makes you feel better, I’ll do it. Give it to me.” You sighed, holding your hand out for it.

 

Genocide was a big word with a lot of baggage. It wasn’t something you were excited about, and it wasn’t exactly something you wanted to do. If you did this, you knew it might destroy you. You knew the cost would be high. But it was a way to stop the potential destruction of your own planet and all the worlds that Glahn-Betn might target after. Your soul for billions of lives? It wasn’t even a choice.

 

Loki looked almost amused as he shook his head at you.

 

“Glanh-Betn’s army is split up into several fleets around the galaxy, but he and his most trusted generals have taken residence on another planet. One that is populated by several billion innocent people.” Loki told you.

 

Your hand fell.

 

“No.” You whispered.

 

“Glahn-Betn doesn’t wage war to win Kitten, there’s no prize for him, no ultimate goal. He doesn’t want to rule he only wants to fight. When one world falls he will move onto the next and he will keep going until the universe is soaked in the blood of his conquests. He is a warrior unlike any I have ever met. He doesn’t fight for a cause, he doesn’t fight for anything except the thrill of killing. If we are too noble to sacrifice one planet to stop him it may help us sleep better at night, but trillions more will suffer.”

 

“I don’t care how evil he is, we can’t choose to sacrifice so many people just to kill him!” You protested, horrified.

 

“You wouldn’t have to make this choice if you’d just stayed on Midguard. You insisted on following me and this is what your actions have wrought. No matter what we do, we will be responsible for the deaths of billions.” He sighed.

 

He’d tried to spare you from this, he’d tried to shoulder the burden himself. You were glad you hadn’t let him.

 

“Why were you trying to hire mercenaries? Before you resorted to this, you had another plan. What was it?” You demanded.

 

“To have them infiltrate his warriors and find a way to get close to him, to get me close enough to assassinate him.” He admitted.   

 

If Loki was to be believed, and you did believe him, there was an intergalactic army preparing to wage war on your planet. Millions of people’s lives were at stake and the Inhumans would be taken and turned into weapons for a madman. You couldn’t risk going back to tell The Avengers because even if you could convince them Loki was telling the truth, they might lock him up anyway. Since Loki was the only person who knew Glahn-Betn and stood a chance of leading you to him, Loki was where you were putting your faith.

 

You thought about it, what the hell you were going to do and even though it felt like you were punching yourself in the heart, you knew you couldn’t go back to Earth. Not yet.

 

Which meant that you couldn’t tell Steve you were ok, you were safe. The second he saw you he wouldn’t let you leave again and if you tried to tell him you trusted Loki he might assume you were being controlled. The Avengers mistrust of the god ran deep and there were too many risks involved.

 

You needed to do whatever it took to make sure Glahn-Betn’s army never made it to Earth. You had faith that The Avengers would win, but at what cost? If you worked alongside Loki here and now, you could potentially save a lot of lives.

 

“If you want something done you have to do it yourself.” You decided.

 

“What exactly are you suggesting?” Loki asked suspiciously from behind you.

 

“I’ll do it. I’ll infiltrate Glahn-Betn’s army and I’ll kill him.”

 

“You can’t be serious.” Loki snapped.

 

You turned around and he saw from the steely determination in your eyes that you were in fact deadly serious. It was the most dangerous course of action but it was also the one with the most chance of success and low collateral damage.

 

“You want to walk into the heavily guarded lair of one of the most bloodthirsty beings I have ever met and murder him?” Loki clarified derisively.

 

“Why were you on Earth? The first time, when we caught you?” You asked, a sinking feeling in your gut.

 

When The Avengers had found out Loki was on Earth, you suited up and went to fight him. Nobody, not even Thor had thought to ask why he was there.

 

“I knew I would find no allies on Midguard, but I had hoped to let some information slip, by accident of course.” He said with a smirk.

 

He’d wanted to get captured, just like the first time. Only instead of getting captured as part of his plan to overthrow Earth, this time he’d done it to try and save it. But instead of sticking to his original plan, he’d escaped. With you.

 

“Yes, I know what you’re going to ask me and the answer is yes. I kidnapped you because I hoped you would serve as the assassin. I intended to hire a group of mercenaries on Ciegrim-7 and hide you amongst them, but that plan failed.” He sighed.

 

“It had a minor setback. It didn’t fail.” You pointed out.

 

You couldn’t be mad, because it was a good plan. It was the same plan you’d come to on your own now, so getting pissed at him wouldn’t make any sense. He stared you down like he waiting for you to change your mind but when you didn’t he clenched his jaw tightly, grinding his teeth together.

 

“Very well. We’ll go back to that plan.” He acquiesced.

 

“You’re not going to tell me it’s too dangerous? You’re going to let me do this?” You double checked, surprised by his willingness to go along it.

 

“You already know it’s dangerous and I already know that even if I tried to stop you, you’d find a way to do it anyway. You’re not very obedient, Kitten.” He quipped, the signature smirk on his face seeming softer than it usually did.

 

“But you need to take the Elixir. You need to be fully prepared, which means you need to train.” He added.

 

“Fine. I’ll take it.” You sighed.

 

“Good girl.” He said, grinning widely at the way you reacted to his words by rolling your eyes and storming off.

 

“Wait a second… when you say I have to train?” You asked with dread, coming to a halt.

 

“I’ll be training you... _wife._ ” He said casually as he walked past you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter! I can't seem to help it, I get really inspired by the wonderful responses to this fic. Seriously, every comment is so appreciated that I don't fully have the words to explain it. So instead, have 5k words of Mischief and Kitten being dumbasses as a thank you!


	10. Mischief, I'll Make a Meme Out of You

“I hate you!” You screamed, the sudden yell echoing through the clearing in the woods.

 

“Tad dramatic, no?” He asked, looking down at you with wry amusement.

 

“You stabbed me! You actually fucking stabbed me, you actually stabbed me with a knife!” You shrieked.

 

You winced at the blood oozing around the blade that was sticking out of your thigh.

 

“You weren’t fighting hard enough. You’re supposed to be training to kill a highly trained war lord, how can you expect to be ready unless I make you ready?” He snapped.

 

You’d leaped onto his back and wrapped your arms around his neck, peering over his shoulder to smirk at him and he’d responded by stabbing you in the thigh. Unacceptable.

 

“You didn’t have to stab me!”

 

He rolled his eyes and leaned over to swiftly yank the knife out.

 

“You’ll heal.” He smirked when you grabbed your leg and whined.

 

“My feelings won’t.” You snarled.

 

“Then fight me, at the very least it may make you feel better.” He suggested.

 

“I was trying to take it easy on you, since you were unconscious a few hours ago.” You argued, prodding at the wound that was closing up as you spoke. 

 

He opened his mouth to reply and you struck, pushing off from the ground and doing what Bucky had begged you to stop calling a ‘roly poly’, grabbing Loki’s ankle as you passed him and knocking him off balance. He recovered far too quickly for your liking and you were only half stood up when his foot landed firmly on the side of your ribs and you were god-kicked several feet across the clearing. He didn’t want you to take it easy on him then fine, you wouldn’t. Without giving yourself time to catch your breath you leapt to your feet. If Glahn-Betn broke your ribs, you wouldn’t have time to stop and assess the damage so you needed to be prepared to fight, even if you were injured.

 

You were suddenly glad Loki had stabbed you.

 

You pushed aside all notions of pain, exhaustion and feelings for the man in front of you. The only thought in your mind was _win_ , the word echoing through your skull like a drumbeat, a mantra that had consumed you. You instinctively leaned to the side to avoid the knife whizzing past your head without so much as a flicker of change in your expression. You sprinted towards him, pushing off from the ground in a graceful leap like you were going to jump on his shoulders but when he brought his arms up to defend against the manoeuvre, you put your arm out, grabbing onto his hip and using your grip swing under his arms instead of over them, landing on your feet behind him.

 

The knife you’d pulled from his belt was tossed in the air so you could catch it by the hilt and thrust it behind you. The soft grunt of pain let you know you’d hit your mark and you left the knife in his shoulder, using your other arm to jab your elbow at his back, painfully jabbing his kidneys.

 

“Better.” He praised but you ignored it.

 

He turned around, his fist swinging towards where your face would have been if you hadn’t already dropped to kneel on the ground, slamming your open palm into his kneecap and pushing upwards. His leg buckled and his knee slammed into the ground so he was mirroring your position. You aimed a punch at his throat but he used his forearm to push your arm aside, closing his fingers around your other wrist and twisting firmly so you were forced to turn around with your arm bent painfully up your back.

 

His knee pushed into the small of your back and his other hand slammed into the back of your skull, forcing you facedown into the dirt.

 

“Better, but not good enough.” He sighed.

 

If you tried to get free he could break your arm, snap your spine and/or crush your skull. He had won this round… or he would have done if you weren’t a super soldier. Your free arm was trapped under you and using your legs and arm you pushed yourself into a one handed pushed and rolled over so he was on his back on the ground, you on your back on top of him. Mid turn you reached behind you, grabbing the arm that was holding your skull and squeezing.

 

He could break your arm, but you could crush his. You had forced him from a winning position to a stalemate. And Asgardians might heal quickly, but you healed quicker.

 

You sat up, pulling your arm from his grip. You ground your teeth in a muted scream of pain as the tendons in your arm were torn apart and you could feel your shoulder popping out of the joint, but you persisted. You still had your grip on his other arm and as soon as you ripped yourself free of his grasp with excruciating pain, you used the hold to pull him forward, leaning low to the ground and throwing him over your shoulder. He landed flat on his back in front of you and as soon as he sat up you wrapped your un-dislocated arm around his throat and flattened your body against his back.

 

He pushed himself backwards until you were flat out on the ground but you didn’t release him from your chokehold. Your other arm hung limply from your side, flopping about uselessly and sending a fresh wave of pain through you with every jostle but you tuned it out, focusing every ounce of energy you had into your good arm and cutting off Loki’s access to oxygen. As the seconds passed you could feel the fight in him growing weaker but you weren’t stupid enough to release him. He’d asked you not to take it easy on him so you wouldn’t. The second you felt guilty and released him, he’d exploit it.

 

He went almost limp in your hold and you had a brief moment of wondering if he was unconscious before agony bloomed in your chest, from the bottom of your ribs, all the way up to your collarbone. That was when you realised the gargantuan mistake you’d made, the thing hadn’t even noticed until it was too late.

 

The knife you’d stabbed into his shoulder was gone.

 

Blood, hot and wet poured down your side and you dumbly looked down at the vicious slice across your torso. Deep enough to shred through the muscle but not deep enough to kill you. Still, it was clear that it could have been if he’d wanted it.

 

You didn’t know when he’d pulled away from you or when he’d stood up and it was only when his shadow blocked out the sun that you looked up at him. The knife he’d dragged through your flesh was still grasped in his hand, blood dripping from the blade and he was looking between it and your gaping wound with a cold expression.

 

“You win.” You rasped out weakly.

 

He looked at your face and you saw something almost regretful in his eyes before he tossed the knife away and knelt by your side. His fingers tenderly brushed along the edges of the gash he’d made.

 

“It’s already healing…” He said blandly.

 

“’Tis but a flesh wound.” You snarked, giggling to yourself.

 

He rolled his eyes and pulled you into a sitting position, ignoring your sharp gasps of pain and cradling your head and guiding it to lean on his shoulder.

 

“Do you need to bite down on something?” He enquired as he firmly gripped your elbow and dislocated shoulder.

 

You shook your head and it was enough of a signal for him to tighten his grip on your shoulder and shove your arm back into the socket. You screamed your displeasure into his shoulder, running through an impressive array of swers and curses before he let you flop back onto the ground.

 

“I can’t believe you stabbed me again.” You huffed.  

 

Loki smoothly got to his feet and didn’t even attempt to hide the smug amusement pouring off of him.

 

“I don’t fight hard enough, you stab me. I start kicking your ass, you stab me… I can’t win!” You whined.

 

“You really think if you try to strangle Glahn-Betn he won’t fight back?” He asked you seriously, settling himself in the shade of a large tree and sitting with his back pressed to the trunk, his long legs spread in front of him.

 

“What I think is that you just get off on stabbing me you kinky fucker.” You grumbled.

 

“Be that as it may, you need to start thinking on your feet and adjusting your strategy as the situation calls for it.” He suggested.

 

“You aren’t denying it.” You pointed out.

 

“I’m not.” He agreed.

 

He kept the serious expression on his face for a few seconds before he cracked, a wide smile breaking across his face. It was the smile that broke you and you clutched your side in pain as a delirious fit of giggles overtook you. The whole situation was just too absurd.

 

A couple of years ago you had been hiking through Europe with nothing but a small backpack of clothes and an almost certainly boring future.  

 

Now you were a super soldier who called Captain America ‘dad’ and you were on an alien planet, sparring with a god of myth so you could assassinate an alien warmonger and save your planet from potential destruction.

 

“I think that’s enough training for today. Rest and we’ll start again in the morning.” Loki instructed.

 

“We don’t have time to rest.” You sighed.

 

“We have a little time. Nobody will look for us here, we’re safe for now. We should use this time to prepare you for what lies ahead. If we don’t then you will die and you’ll die knowing that your world is in imminent danger.” He reminded you.

 

Turned out your future wasn’t boring after all. Dangerous and terrifying but not boring, not even close.

 

~~~

 

Since he had told you what awaited you if you failed your mission, you had been uncharacteristically quiet.

 

It was rare that he felt guilty for his actions, it wasn’t an emotion he had much use for. But watching you lie on the ground covered in blood hadn’t exactly made him feel proud, it hadn’t been fun. Still, he would plunge a knife into you a thousand times if that’s what it took because he knew you would survive and heal. If you weren’t ready, you wouldn’t survive what Glahn-Betn would do to you.

 

He knew you healed quickly but a sharp blade in the right place and your lifeforce would slip away before your healing had a chance to do anything. A knife in the heart and you would die just as quickly as any other mortal.

 

If that happened….

 

If Glah-Betn didn’t know him then he could be the one to do this but even if he used his seiðr to disguise himself, it was too risky. It had to be you. You were unknown, stronger than you appeared, faster than expected and healed better than most races in the universe. You were almost the perfect assassin. Almost.

 

You were well trained, a good fighter, but not the greatest. You had potential to be better in time but that wasn’t the issue. It was your honour that was holding you back, that pesky streak of goodness. For all your capability of tricks and mischief, there was still that shred of honour in the way you fought. If you had been more vicious, more bloodthirsty then you could have won. If you were willing to use that strength to do more than punch and hold him down then you could have broken his bones, ripped him apart, made him bleed.

 

But you didn’t think like that, you didn’t fight that way.

 

He could see traces of the Captain in your techniques and hints of the widow as well. There were unknown elements, the other soldier and the winged one as well perhaps? You took the fighting styles of your mentors and blended them together, switching between tactics. That was good, it meant it was hard to guess what you would do next and it meant that you would instinctively pick up on his techniques as well.

 

Tomorrow he would begin truly training you, today had been a mere assessment. Tomorrow he would start to snuff out that pesky honourable streak you had and he would mould you into a warrior capable of destruction. Tomorrow he would take the Captains little soldier and turn her into a gods assassin.

 

And though he rarely felt guilty for anything, he silently lamented what he had to do. But he would rather see you lose some of your goodness than see you fail.

 

He caught your attention by waving his hand and clearing the blood from your clothes with a flash of green. You lazily blinked down at the cleaned tunic and turned your head towards him, shooting him a smile that so soft and warm even he couldn’t resist smiling back before he cleared his throat and addressed you.

 

“If you’re going to kill Glahn-Betn you have to be…”

 

“As swift as the coursing river, with all the force of a great Typhoon? With all the strength of a raging fire, mysterious as the dark side of the moon?” You interrupted him to suggest.

 

Loki narrowed his eyes at you while you smiled innocently at him. Or you may have thought you were smiling innocently at him but he recognised the particular smile you were wearing as the one you wore whenever you were amusing yourself.

 

Norns, he knew the difference between your different smiles. It was pathetic.

 

“Speaking of my soon to be first assassination victim… I have a question. Well several actually.” You let him know.

 

“Do you indeed?” He sighed.

 

“Why did you give up on this plan so quickly? Why did you take me back to Earth? Why did you just give up on assassinating Glahn-Betn and go for the genocidal plan? Why did you give me the antidote and leave the Tesseract with me?” You listed off.

 

Why indeed.

 

He was over a millennia old, too old to believe in things like love at first sight. But in the sanctity of his own mind, he would begrudgingly admit that he had been drawn to you from the first meeting when you had wrapped your thighs around his throat and flirted with him. And so he knew that all your questions had the same answer.

 

He didn’t want you to get hurt.

 

“That’s a lot of honesty to ask from the god of lies, Kitten.”

 

“Please?” You asked softly with one of those wide eyed hopeful looks that he hated.

 

“Ask me one question. Any question and I will answer it completely honestly, no matter how much it might pain me to do so.” He offered.

 

It was a big risk, you could ask him any number of questions that he would hate to answer but he found himself offering it regardless.

 

“Promise?”

 

“I swear to Frigga.” He vowed, it was the only vow that meant anything to him.

 

He could see in your eyes that you knew who he spoke of and what she meant to him. Thor must have spoke of their mother with you.

 

“But… You have to do the same in return. You have to answer my question honestly.” He added.

 

“Deal.” You agreed straight away.

 

He smirked at your eagerness and tilted his head to gesture you should ask your question. As you mulled over what you wanted to ask him you cast your eyes heavenward and took your bottom lip between your teeth.

 

“Are you my friend?”

 

 _Such innocence_.

 

The kind of innocence and genuineness that he had been exploiting and destroying for centuries. Your trust in him and your desire to know him could be your undoing. It would be so simple for him to manipulate you, to play with your emotions. You were clever and sly, you could have been a tough opponent but it was undercut by your kindness. How easily he could ruin you.

 

But there wasn’t a single part of him that wanted to do it.

 

“Yes Kitten, I am your friend. If you’ll have me.”

 

Not so long ago you had told him that you liked him but you didn’t trust him, that you weren’t friends. He was almost certain you had changed your mind but there was still a sharp pang of doubt, still a part of him waiting for the rejection.

 

“I’ll have you Mischief, happily.” You told him, your lips twitching upwards into an enticing smirk and a mischievous twinkle in your eyes.

 

You twisted yourself around until you were on your front and half crawled-half wiggled the few feet over to him. If anyone else had have done it, they would have looked utterly ridiculous. You somehow made it look almost elegant. Propping your head up on his thigh you gazed up at him with what he was tempted to describe as fondness and maybe it was the close proximity and the easily sought out physical touch or maybe it was the way you smiled up at him but his heart fluttered wildly in his chest and he could hear his pulse thundering in his veins.

 

“Your turn.” You reminded him and he had to wrack his brain to figure out what you were referring to.

 

It was his turn to ask you a question. He had so many that he desperately needed to know the answer to, things he was almost afraid to ask you.

 

Why did you really come back for me on the roof?

 

Why did you decide to trust me?

 

Why did you follow me to Maarin?

 

What happens when we defeat Glahn-Betn?

 

Do you care for me?

_What would I have to do to make you stay with me when this is all over?_

“How did you slip the King of Hearts into that book before I’d even picked it?” Was what he ended up actually asking.

 

Your laughter echoed through the clearing, filling the open space with so much joy that he had to bite his cheek to stop the smile that wanted break free at the sound.

 

“It was a specially printed deck, there’s two King of Hearts and one is a fraction of a shade brighter than the rest of the cards so your eye’s naturally drawn to it while the other is already where you’ve planted it. In your case, it was already in the book.” You explained.

 

“It was that simple?” He asked, flabbergasted.

 

“The best tricks are.” You said flippantly.

 

You weren’t wrong.

 

“Come along little Kitten.” He teased softly, standing up and offering you his hand.

 

You grabbed it and let him pull you to your feet.

 

“Are you healed?” He asked, gently prodding your shoulder.

 

“Mostly. The torn ligaments are tender and a bit bruised but I think they’ve reconnected.” You said, rolling your arm as you walked beside him back towards the village.

 

“Are you healed?” You sniggered.

 

“There wasn’t much to heal from.” He sassed.

 

It was a lie, he still had a stab wound on the back of his shoulder that itched more than hurt but you didn’t need to know that.

 

You linked your arm through his and rested your head on his shoulder as you walk and he automatically bent his arm to accommodate you even as he looked down at you in shock. You didn’t seem to notice his surprise, to you this small act of affection and companionship was natural and casual. You didn’t just tolerate his presence, you seemed to naturally seek it out. It was strange and… not entirely unwelcome.

 

There were no more words spoken as you walked through the woods and into the fields of blue grass, you were apparently just content to walk arm in arm with him and he was busy biting his tongue. Part of him was almost desperate to say something unkind or cruel, to strike an emotional blow and push you away because that was what he did but a larger part of him was just confused.

 

Why did this little mortal not hate him? Why did you touch him and embrace him without a flicker of distaste in your eyes, why was there no mistrust? And most importantly, why did that send sparks of hope shooting through him?

 

Even if all he could see was the top of your head, he was so caught up in staring at you that he didn’t pay any heed to the village as it came into sight until you turned your face into his arm to stifle your laughter.

 

“What has you so amused?” He asked, furrowing his brow.

 

“I think they think we were doing a different kind of sparring.” You sniggered.

 

He looked around at the villagers who were watching the two of you with amusement and knowing glances. He had cleaned the blood and signs of injury from the two of you but between the stiff way he was walking and the mussed hair you both had, not to mention the way you were clinging onto him…

 

“Your protests about their assumptions on the nature of our relationship have been for naught it would seem.” He chuckled.

 

“There are worse things they could believe.” You told him.

 

And then you were pulling your arm from his and leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. The sensation of your lips on his skin struck him as hard as a bolt of Thors lightning and he was left standing there like a fool as you lithely pranced away, turning your head at the last second to shoot him a wink before you disappeared around a corner.

 

It was the amused guffawing of the one known as Elder that broke Loki out of his trance. The man’s eyes were shining with mirth as he shook his head fondly at the scene.

 

“Don’t fret boy, she might deny your union but Sky Lady feels as strongly for you as you do for her. This old man can tell.” Elder said sagely.

 

He felt his face curling up into an automatic sneer as the barbed words formed on his tongue, he was set to tell Elder that he was ten times older and wiser, that he felt nothing for you but the denial tasted like ash in his mouth and he faltered.

 

“She feels something for me?” He found himself asking.

 

Elder just gave him a pointed look and wandered off, muttering under his breath about young love.

 

Anxiety formed a heavy weight in his gut, it’s tendrils wrapping their way around his heart. You did not feel for him, you couldn’t. He couldn’t allow himself to believe it because if he did then it would give way to hope.

 

And he knew that when Glahn-Betn was dead and Midguard was once again safe that you would go home and he would be left alone. If he dared hope for any other outcome, well he might be forced to admit things to himself that he would really rather ignore. It was too dangerous to go down that road and he was a lot of things but not a masochist.

 

He had gotten too comfortable around you, letting the good feelings you brought forth make him softer around you. That needed to end, he needed to remind you that he was nothing more than a temporary ally.

 

You needed to be reminded that when this was over, he was once again going to be the enemy.

 

~~~

 

You left the tunic on the temporary bed as you slipped into your strangely new looking old clothes and ducked out of the hut.

 

“Can I borrow this?” You asked Dancer, one of the young women who had administered the Elixir for your arm to you earlier in the day, the same woman you had seen through the Tesseract.

 

Her amber eyes turned to you and she saw you holding up an empty satchel with a pleading look.

 

“Of course Sky lady.” She told you with a blindingly bright smile.

 

“Thank you.”

 

You had a feeling these people would give you almost anything you could have asked for, they were just that kind. Nobody paid much heed as you slipped away from the village, looking cautiously over your shoulder for Loki. You really didn’t want him to find you and ask what you were doing, because you had no intention of telling him.

 

Thankfully you weren’t caught and you made it back to the woods without running into any obstacles. Fourth tree to the west, turn right, 15 steps forward, turn left, four steps forward, walk until you see the big tree with the scarring on it’s bark that looks a bit like a cat you recited in your mind, walking until you found what you were looking for.

 

Kneeling down you used your hands to dig into the dirt until you found what you were looking for. Uncovering the Tesseract from the wad of cloth around it you breathed a sigh of relief and with one last cautious look around, you held it in your bare hand.

 

“Take me there.” You told it, holding the image of a specific location in your mind.

 

When you landed in the empty alleyway, the stench of rubbish turned your stomach more than the trip through space had done. You really were getting used to this and you were happy to see the flesh of your hand was unburnt. Slipping the Tesseract into the satchel, you slung the strap of the bag over your shoulder and slipped out of the alleyway, melting easily into bustling streets, seamlessly blending amongst the pedestrians. As a well-dressed man on his phone walked past you in the opposite direction you easily slid his wallet out of his pocket, flipped it open and pulled a 10$ note from it, flipped it closed again and knelt on the ground.

 

“Excuse me sir? You dropped this.” You called out, holding the wallet up to him.

 

He patted his pocket with a look of surprise and too the wallet off of you with a quick nod of thanks. You smirked and crossed the road, heading for a newsstand and picked up a can of coke and paid for it, accepting your change with a smile. Your next stop was your ultimate goal on this trip and you took a deep breath before you stepped inside the small phone booth. Putting the change in the slot you dialled the number you knew by heart you counted the rings and waited for it connect.

 

“Hello?” Steve answered.

 

“It’s me.” You breathed out in relief.

 

It was good to hear his voice. There was a moment of silence on the other line as he probably recovered from his shock. After all, you had been stolen away by a god, you doubted Steve expected you to call him from a payphone.

 

“Are you ok?” He demanded, full Captain voice.

 

“I’m ok, and don’t bother tracing the call Steve, I’m on West Harrison Street in Chicago.” You laughed softly.

 

“I’m coming, we’re coming. BUCKY!” He yelled for his oldest friend and you could just picture him running for the nearest quinjet, probably only stopping to grab his shield along the way.

 

“Steve I don’t have long ok, listen to me.” You said quickly.

 

“Is Loki after you? We’re on our way ok, find somewhere to hide and wait for us. Do not try to engage him.”

 

“Steve… Loki isn’t here and he isn’t coming after me. Mainly because I have the Tesseract and he’s expecting me back any moment. We’re having stew for dinner.” You explained, very very badly.

 

“Ok, here goes… Steve I’m very sorry and I know you’re going to kick my ass for this but I’m working with Loki. There’s stuff going on up there, in space, that you don’t know about. There’s a psychopath with an intergalactic army and he’s coming for Earth. He want the Inhumans and everybody else is just collateral, just another conquest. But I think we can stop him, me and Loki, we have a plan. But if it doesn’t work then you need to be prepared, there’s a fight coming.” You blurted out in a rush.

 

“Ok… Ok, we’ll be prepared. When we get there you can explain it all to us properly.” Steve said calmly.

 

“Steve! This isn’t a trick ok? It’s not a joke, it’s not a ploy, Loki isn’t screwing with you. I’m telling you the truth! Friday, Friday are you there? Hack into the camera’s at Greyhound Bus station.” You ordered.

 

“Give me the phone.” You heard Bucky demand and there was a rustling sound where you guessed Bucky got impatient and wrestled the phone away from Steve.

 

“What’s the name of the dog we stop to pet on our morning runs?” Bucky asked straight away.

 

“Lou.”

 

“What’s the 4 digit pin to the safe in your closet?” He asked.

 

“7412 and it’s not in my closet, it’s under the floorboard, three steps from the bathroom and two steps left.” You answered.

 

“It’s her.” Bucky said to Steve and whoever else was there.          

 

“Alright Kitten, we’ve got eyes on you.” Sam shouted.

 

You waved at the security camera across the road as it was remotely turned to point at you. Looking around to make sure nobody was paying attention to you in the booth you slipped your hand into the satchel and pulled out the Tesseract, making sure the camera could see it. A sharp intake of breath on the line let you know they had seen it.

 

“So you know it’s me and you know Loki isn’t forcing me to do this because I have the Tesseract and I would just use it to escape if he was.” You sighed.

 

“Yeah, apart from the fact you can’t use the Tesseract. Nice try, tell the horny god to get his greasy ass on the phone.” Tony called down the line.

 

This wasn’t going as well as you had naively hoped and you gently bashed your forehead against the glass walls of the booth. You knew you didn’t have long before armed agents flooded the street because there was no way The Avengers hadn’t called this in.

 

“If Glah-Betn invades you’ll know I was telling the truth, and that I failed. And if I do fail there’s two really important things I have to tell you first. Loki didn’t hurt me, and he didn’t force me to help him, he actually tried to bring me home and I wouldn’t let him. He’s not at fault here so don’t try and punish him, please. And Steve… You were the first person who ever genuinely, truly cared about me without wanting anything in return. You taught me so much and you made me safe and loved while teaching me to be brave and strong. I can’t explain how much that meant to me and I need you to know that no matter what happens to me, I’ll never regret meeting you, no matter how it happened. I love you.” You had to stop and take a deep breath before you broke down.

 

“I love you too.” He whispered back and you could hear the way he swallowed thickly and put back on the mask of the Captain.

 

“Whatever is going on, you need to let us help. Please just stay there and wait for us. I’m telling you to stay there, not as your Captain but as… as your father. I’m begging you, let me help you. Please.” He said softly, sympathetically, desperately.

 

“If I do, can you honestly swear to me that you won’t hurt Loki? That you won’t lock him up? Swear to me Steve, swear that if I bring Loki to Earth you’ll let him help us without harming, stopping or incarcerating him in any way.” You begged.

 

“We trust you, if you say we need to trust Loki, we can do that.” Natasha chimed in.

 

“No, not you. You’ll lie if you think you have to. I need to hear it from Steve.” You said.

 

There was silence and you knew that on the other end of the phone he was being to subjected to a myriad of pleading and warning looks. But you knew that no matter what, Steve wouldn’t make you a promise he couldn’t keep. It was the foundation your whole relationship was built upon.

 

“Loki’s a criminal Kid, you know this. We can’t let him run around unchecked. He kidnapped you, and honestly I think he might be controlling or manipulating you in some way. I can promise not to hurt him if he comes in without a fight. If you bring in Loki and the Tesseract and we’ll treat him fairly.” Steve bartered.

 

It was exactly what you’d been afraid of and it wasn’t a good enough offer.

 

“There’s a third thing I need to tell you actually.” You sighed.

 

“You can tell me anything.” Steve patiently prodded.

 

“Tony’s wrong. I can wield the Tesseract.” You said regretfully and dropped the receiver, letting it swing from the cord.

 

You could hear the multiple panicked shouts overlapping one another on the receiver and saw the first glimpse of black suited agents pouring out of the SUV’s around you as you pulled the Tesseract from your satchel and silently beseeched it to take you back to Clarius and back to Loki.

 

Blue light enveloped you and by the time the first tear fell from your eyes, you were surrounded by blue grass.

 

“What did you do?” Loki snarled from behind you.

 

You snapped. You whirled around and threw the Tesseract as hard as you could at his face. He only just managed to catch it and it disappeared in a flash of green magic while he looked at you like you’d lost your mind.

 

“I can wield the Tesseract without you. I could go after Glahn-Betn with The Avengers. I could stop the threat with them keep my planet safe and all I would have to do is hand you over to be locked in a cell. I could make my father proud, I could be the fucking hero, I could do it all without you but I didn’t. I refused to betray you. They might never forgive me, god knows they’ll never be able to trust me again but I refused anyway.” You snarled at him.

 

Loki looked absolutely stricken as he stepped closer to you, putting his hand on your shoulder like he was trying to offer comfort.

 

“I had to choose a side and I chose yours so don’t you dare accuse me of betraying you.” You yelled, pushing him away.

 

“Kitten...” He said softly, stepping back to you.

 

“No.” You yelled, balling your hands up into fists and trying to hit at him as he invaded your personal space.

 

“Stop it. Stop.” He ordered, snatching your wrists and holding your arms still.

 

“Fuck you. He’ll never, ever look at me the same way now, because I chose you and you still think I would betray you!”

 

His grip tightened on you to the point it was becoming painful.

 

“You chose me.” He whispered so quietly you barely heard it.

 

He pulled you forwards and released your arms, wrapping his around you and for a moment you struggled against him. But the way his arms locked around you and his fingers rubbed soothing patterns into your back eventually made you go limp in his grasp and one arm slid down to your waist and help you against him as you knees gave out and he lowered you both gently to the ground, his lips whispering sweet assurances into your hair that you couldn’t quite hear over the sound of your sobs.

 

You cried until your throat ached and your eyes stung and Loki’s arms were the only thing that stopped you from breaking completely apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, an EVEN LONGER chapter.   
> I can't help it. I keep getting these amazing comments and feedback and my brain gets so hyperactive from it. 
> 
> Anyway, what did you think of all the scenes in this behemoth chapter? The fight scene, the honesty game, Elder being a lil shit, Loki being an absolute dumbass in forced denial, and Kitten not making her dad proud!


	11. Worst Nightmares

~~~On Earth~~~

_“Tony’s wrong. I can wield the Tesseract.”_

The security camera footage showed you disappearing with the Tesseract as the Avengers watched, studying the images on the screen for answers, clues, hints, anything at all.

“Friday, play it again. We’re missing something, we have to be.” Tony muttered.

 

“What if she was telling the truth?” Natasha asked.

 

Several sets of disbelieving eyes snapped to her and she shrugged lithely.

 

“We have to at least entertain the possibility. If we disregard her and an army really does show up on our doorstep we’ll pay for it. It can’t hurt to be prepared, just in case.” She elaborated.

 

“Even if Loki has influenced her, she could have found a way to warn us of what was coming.” Clint added.

 

“Let’s say it’s true. There’s an army up there with it’s sights set on Earth. Kit would do anything she could to try and stop it, even working with Loki. I’m not saying he can be trusted, but she wouldn’t be the first person to misplace her faith.” Bruce sighed.

 

“Are we all ignoring the fact that she used the Tesseract to hop through space? Everything we know about it points to that not exactly being easy. Why would Loki teach her how to do that, what could he possibly gain from giving her an object of unlimited power and making sure she knew how to use it?” Tony asked, his eyes glued to the repeating footage and his brow furrowed as he tried to work out the puzzle you’d sprung on them.

 

“I don’t believe he would do this.” Thor stated resolutely.

 

“Because Loki would never subject anybody to mind control.” Clint said with bitter sarcasm.

 

“He gave me his word she would be unharmed.” Thor argued.

 

“God of lies… You know that better than anyone.” Clint shot back.

 

“Until we can get Wanda close enough to take a look inside her mind there’s only really one person who can figure out if she’s being controlled.” Natasha pointed out.

 

But since Bucky was holed up in the gym with Steve, he wasn’t there to tell them his opinion.

 

“How can he be controlling her though, without the sceptre?” Wanda asked, speaking for the first time since they’d convened. She’d been watching the footage closely, more invested than even Tony as she tried to uncover a sign of mind control in you. 

 

“If he could control people without it then why did he use it in the first place?” Natasha asked, nodding her agreement at Wanda’s question.

 

“Thor?”

 

“Loki is skilled at manipulating people, he has never needed mind control before. But there are spells that can influence people, sway them or make them paranoid. It is theoretically _possible_ that he has found a way to control her.” He answered begrudgingly.

 

“What if Loki’s not the one doing the manipulating?” Sam asked.

 

He crossed his arms and watched the footage yet again as he pondered the situation.

 

“We’re all panicking because one of our own was taken and it doesn’t help that our leader is the concerned parent in this situation. It’s got inside all of our heads and we’re letting our worry take over everything else, making us forget that she’s an Avenger. She’s a super soldier. She’s been trained by all of us. And even without all of that, she’s always been damn good at playing people and getting them to do what she wants. How many times has she managed to talk us into her way of thinking? We don’t really notice it because she’s never done it in a bad way so maybe we are underestimating how it can be a powerful asset.” He told them, turning away from the screen.

 

“You think she’s manipulating Loki?” Natasha mused speculatively.

 

“She manipulated him twice before he kidnapped her. If there’s a threat out there she’ll do whatever she has to do to neutralize it. For some reason Loki showed her how to use the Tesseract and it sounds like he let her leave with it and trusted her to come back. Maybe he is controlling her somehow, maybe she’s the one controlling him, but from all the facts we’ve been given it seems equally possible that they’re working together.” He pointed out.

 

“Loki has always thrived on the attention of others, even if it is negative. But he is wild and unpredictable and seldom does what is expected of him. Though when he was in the cell and even when he took her, he seemed almost… fond of her? His vow not to harm her seemed genuine.” Thor said, jumping onto the new explanation.

 

“Then why did he take her back to Earth and leave her smashed phone? Steve heard her, she screamed.” Tony argued.

 

“I believe he is using her to taunt us, for what reason I do not know. But I truly do not believe he has or will harm her.” Thor said resolutely.

 

“You sure about that? Or are you just trying to make yourself feel better about letting him take her in the first place?” Tony challenged.

 

Thor looked as if he’d been struck before he raised himself up to his full height and faced Tony.

 

“Maybe he wants this… Us to fall apart and turn on each other. He takes one of our own and it makes us start to fall apart, he has her warn us about a threat and we could end up preparing for a false attack. He’s keeping us guessing, keeping us worried, keeping us vulnerable.” Natasha said calmly, casually standing between Tony and Thor.

 

“Alright… Alright, we don’t know what the hell is actually going on. We can guess all we like but we don’t know. So let’s not descend into turning on each other. If Loki wants us vulnerable, he’s going to fail. If Kitten wants us prepared for a fight, lets not let out girl down.” Sam said decisively, looking around the room and meeting everyone’s eyes.

 

They all met his gaze, nodding their agreement. Thor let the tension melt from his shoulders and stood beside Tony, slapping him gently on the back.

 

“This is hitting Steve harder than all of us, so we give him a moment to process it. But when that moments up, we get to work. We bring her home and we take down whatever the threat is.”

 

~~~

 

“She’s. Working. With. Loki.” Steve huffed, hitting the bag with every word.

 

“We don’t know that.” Bucky tried to assure him.

 

“Yes we do. She told us. Either’s he controlled her or forced her into helping him… or she’s doing it of her own free will. If it’s the latter then the threat out there is big enough that she decided she needed to work with Loki. I won’t disregard her warning just because I’m afraid for her.” Steve said, catching the swinging bag and leaning on it.

  
“So what are we going to do?” Bucky asked him.

 

“The Inhuman Index. We tell every Inhuman on it that there’s a possible, credible threat and they need to be prepared.” Steve said after a moments deliberation.

 

“That’ll cause chaos.” Bucky pointed out, though it wasn’t an argument against the plan, just a reminder.

 

“It will. And if we win the fight coming or there was no fight at all, it’ll be a hell of a mess to clean up. But if the threats real and we lose, thousands of people will be endangered. We need to tell them Buck, it’s the right thing to do.” Steve sighed.

 

“Yeah… it is.” Bucky agreed tightly.

 

“I want Nat and Tony on that. They’ll have to work around the system, not inside it. The UN will want this contained so they need to contact the Inhumans directly. Bruce will need to connect with Shuri, I want everyone looking away from the Earth for whatever might be coming for us. We don’t know where they’ll hit first or when, so you, Sam and Rhodey need to work with Fury and rollout a military plan. Make sure that wherever this ‘Glahnbetn’ lands, there’s resistance.”

 

“Alright. What are you going to do?”

 

“I’m taking Wanda and Strange. We need to get Wanda prepared to fend of mind control on the fly. If Strange can get inside my head, Wanda can try to undo it.” Steve said with a hint of nervousness.

 

“Steve….” Bucky snapped, new understanding dawning on him.

 

This was why he was working with Sam and Rhodey.

 

“Buck… If Loki’s found a way inside her head, Wanda’s the only one who can break her free. Which means Wanda needs to practice. I’m not leaving anything up to chance.” Steve argued softly, but firmly.

 

Bucky didn’t say anything for a long moment. He knew where Steve was coming from, he understood but it didn’t mean he liked it. Finally he nodded, a quick jerk of his head.

 

“None of The Avengers leave New York. We can’t risk splitting up. Tell everyone their orders and anyone without a task gets us all ready to move out to the Tower we leave tonight.” Steve instructed, walking towards the doors.

 

“The tower? Think that’s wise? There’s a lot of civilians around there.” Bucky asked, falling into step beside him.

 

“Loki’s an egomaniac. New York was where he lost and if he’s who we’re up against, that’s where he’ll attack first. If it’s not Loki we’re fighting, we need to be ready to defend civilians at a seconds notice anyway. It’s our strongest vantage point.”

 

“Steve, do you really think there’s a possibility she’d team up with him?”

 

“I do. I know her and I know that if there’s an army coming for us then she’ll do anything she feels she has to do to stop it, even trusting someone nobody else would trust. But if Loki’s hurt her, there’s nothing on Earth or Asgard that will stop me killing him.” Steve vowed.

 

~~~On Clarius~~~

 

He’d been around plenty of distraught and/or panicking people in his life but he was usually the one causing the panicking, not the one offering comfort. It was strange how naturally it came to him, wrapping his arms around you and whispering sweet words meant to soothe.

 

Stranger still, was how easily you accepted it after your initial struggle.

 

Not for the first time, he suspected there was more to the ‘kitten’ moniker that had been bestowed upon you. The way you curled up into the smallest ball you could and burrowed yourself into him was certainly kitten-like. But the sobs that wracked through your body and the pain in them was so _human_. Eventually the crying subsided and your breathing evened out and he craned his neck to look down at you, brushing the hair away from your face.

 

You were fast asleep.

 

Fast asleep, curled up in his arms because you’d chosen him. Careful no to wake you, he gathered you up and stood, holding you close to his chest as he carried you back through the quiet village. You’d been crying for quite some time and night had fallen, sending the villages scurrying back into their homes. He was grateful for that, he didn’t want to have to explain what had happened.

 

Smoothly, without jostling you, he managed to open the door to the hut and pulled back the blanket on your bed before depositing you on it. Now he just had to find a way of untangling your hands from his shirt where you were gripping onto it.

 

He traced the thin, almost invisible vein like scars that were the only remaining evidence of your injury from The Tesseract. The featherlight touches made you squirm, even in your sleep and he smirked to himself as he tickled your wrists until you let go of him.

 

He resisted the urge to just throw the blankets over your body, by his nature he was not one for being so caring, even if he did care. But he tempered himself and pulled the blanket over you, arranging it so you were shielded from the chill in the air. Noting the goosebumps on your skin he shook his head in exasperation and pulled his cloak from his shoulders, tucking it over you.  

 

“Norns, what are you doing to me?” He whispered at you.

 

He was Loki of Asgard, he was a Prince. He was a monster…. And here he was, tucking a mortal into bed and worrying about her shivers.

 

He sat down on the other bed and glared at you through the darkness. But as the minutes passed, the night continued and you slept peacefully across from him, his glare softened.

 

It started with a small crease on your brow, a slight frown that grew. Whatever you were dreaming about it was unpleasant.

 

At the first whimper of pain he shot to his feet and it wasn’t until he was by your side that he realized it was only a part of your dream.

 

Placing his palm on your forehead he let his seiðr allow him to drift into your consciousness, so he could see and change your dream.

 

Tubes of blood and needles in your arms, and a fire that coursed through your veins. The pain was so intense and well-remembered, even in a dream, that for a brief second he got lost in it and struggled to remember this was your dream, not his.

 

He knew what this was, you had told him about it, how you were made into what you were. You had explained the pain of the process and how it had nearly killed you but you had downplayed how much it had affected you. You were still having nightmares about it after all this time and he understood. It wasn’t the pain that had been the driving force of the panic in the nightmare, it was the helplessness. They had tied you down and drained you of your blood before they piped someone’s else’s into you, then they had shoved a needle into your heart and changed you. It filled him with rage and he wanted to hunt down the one’s who had done this to you.

 

But your Captain had already done that. You had already been saved, already been Avenged.

 

He placed his palm on your forehead again and brought forth the rest of the memory you’d told him about into the dream.

 

“Just hold on ok? Doctor Banner is going to save you, you’re going to be ok kid. You’re going to be ok. I promise.”

 

He felt the intense relief and safety wash over you before he could pull away and he stepped back from you as the whimpers subsided and your face smoothed out, the nightmare chased away by one sentence uttered by your father in your mind.

 

He had accepted your devotion to Steve Rogers but he hadn’t really understood it until now. Having had a small glimpse inside your head though, understanding dawned on him and he fully understood the implications of what you had sacrificed for him.

 

With one last glance at your peacefully sleeping form he left the hut and strode away from the village, heading for the blue grass.

 

He was elated, jubilant and ecstatic. You had chosen him, someone had chosen him above everyone else. And he had won your favour without tricks or treachery, without lying or deceiving you. He had been nothing more than himself and you had still chosen him even though it had cost you your family.

 

And that was the bitter aftertaste to his joy. He had won, but you had lost.

 

It would be so easy to make you stay with him now, he could have you all to himself. When you had fell apart in his arms as you mourned the loss of your fathers trust he had been forced to confront his desires and gazing down at your sleeping form he freely admitted it. He desired you. He had been prepared to push you away so he could save himself disappointment when you left, but that was all changed now. You had thrown your lot in with him and he wouldn’t, _he couldn’t_ bring himself to push you away.

 

Your kindness, your joy, your awe, your excitement, your mischievousness, your intelligence, your strength, all of it. He wanted to bask in your presence and be accepted for who he was. You knew he was the trickster and that he had been the villain but you trusted him anyway. You had lain your head on his thigh and linked your arm with his, you had kissed his cheek and found solace in his arms and let him comfort you.

 

But the price you had paid for being tainted by him was steep and he knew it had broken your heart. You had sacrificed your happiness for his freedom. It would be so easy to make you stay with him now, but he couldn’t let you.

 

When Glahn-Betn was dead, you _would_ return to Midguard. And when you did, he would ensure that nobody would doubt your true allegiance’s. He was the trickster, the god of lies, it would be easy to make them believe he had tricked you. They undoubtedly were already thinking it.

 

If you could sacrifice your happiness for his freedom, he could sacrifice his happiness for yours.

 

~~~

 

You woke up alone in the borrowed bed on Clarius and for a moment you didn’t remember any of the terrible things that had happened. But it all came flooding back and your heart contracted painfully.

 

You had gone to warn the Avengers, a decision you didn’t regret. But it had forced you to admit to them and to yourself that you had chosen to side with one of their greatest foes.

 

Loki, who had taken over Clint’s mind and made him do horrific things. Loki, who had slaughtered dozens upon dozens of people. Loki, who had brought an army to Earth that had wreaked destruction on New York.

 

You had betrayed everyone you cared about because you didn’t want to see Loki locked in another cell. They had promised not to hurt him but it wasn’t enough for you. You wanted Loki’s freedom.

 

Because the Loki you knew was not the man who would do any of those terrible things. He had hesitated to release a virus on an unsuspecting population even as he argued it was for the greater good. Whatever reasons he’d had for attacking New York, you didn’t believe they were as simple as you’d been led to believe. Even if they were, even if he’d once been that evil, you knew he wasn’t the same person anymore.

 

You hadn’t known him then, but you knew him now and you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the man you knew, the one who’s cloak was carefully draped over you so you weren’t alone even though he wasn’t there, you cared for that man.

 

You loved him.

 

Wrapping the cloak tightly around yourself you padded outside the hut. There, illuminated by the first rays of dawnlight, he was lounging in the grass, his face turned to the sky.

 

“Mischief?”

 

He stiffened at the sound of your voice but didn’t turn around.

 

“I know what you’re thinking.” You told him, walking over to settle on the grass beside him.

 

“Do you indeed?” He said coldly.

 

“You’re thinking I made the wrong choice. I shouldn’t have chosen you. You’re thinking that you need to keep me at arm’s length now, push me away, maybe even make me hate you.”

 

His startled eyes turned to look at you, finally.

 

“I knew the choice I was making, I knew what it would cost. I knew it would fucking hurt and I was right. I feel like my heart is torn in two, half of it left lying on the ground in Chicago. But Mischief, _I don’t regret it_. I made my choice, and it was the right one. You don’t get to decide you know better, you don’t get to remake my choices for me.”

 

You seemed to have shocked him speechless and his jaw opened and closed as he tried to come up with a response.

 

“Why?” He whispered.

 

It was the million dollar question and it had a million different answers. But the most truthful one, the one that meant the most?

 

“Because you are worth choosing.” You told him.

 

You loved Steve, you loved The Avengers and you weren’t giving up on them. You’d fight for them, fight to make them trust you again. But no matter how much pain it caused you, what you might lose in the process, you knew Loki was worth it. Even if you didn’t quite know why.

 

“You’re a fool.” He said snarkily, but when he turned his head away he wasn’t quite fast enough to stop you seeing the sheen in his eyes.

 

“Have you only just noticed that?” You snorted, falling onto your back with a thump so you could watch the colours dancing across the sky.

 

He kept his back to you as he sat still, unmoving as he watched the sky as well. But appearances could be deceiving because you felt something tickle your hand and when you looked down, his fingers were gently brushing your skin. You flipped your hand over, your palm facing skyward and he ceased his movements before he tentatively slid his hand into yours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's hella slow, but they ARE making progress! 
> 
> The slowest of slow burns, but it will all pay off. I promise?


	12. Curiosity and the Kitten

“I’m just saying, what’s the point of having a magic space rock if we can’t use it to go and get coffee?” You muttered, glaring at the back of Loki’s head.

 

Claruis was beautiful and amazing and the people were wonderful, but it didn’t have caramel macchiato’s so you were quickly becoming disillusioned with it. 

 

Loki let out a long suffering sigh and you could almost feel the will to live draining out of him. You’d been bitching about caffeine withdrawal all morning until he got so annoyed he’d locked you in the bathroom. You’d let him get away with it since you wanted a bath anyway and you languished in the water for almost an hour before coming back into the room and resuming your tirade.

 

“The ‘magic space rock’ as you so eloquently put it, is an object of immense power, as old as the universe itself. It is a weapon, we are not using it for errands.” He groaned, grabbing you by the shoulders and turning you towards the door, gently shoving you towards it.

 

“So you have never once used the Tesseract to pop across the universe because you had a craving?” You asked in disbelief, craning your neck to look back at him.

 

His refusal to meet your eyes was all the answer you needed.

 

“You hypocrite!”

 

“Be that as it may, I’m still not taking you for breakfast.” He decreed.

 

“Why not?” You whined.

 

“Because I already took breakfast to you Kitten.” He said with a self-satisfied smirk.

 

You turned back around in curiosity, a quiet squeak of surprise bubbling out of you when you saw what he’d been doing while you bathed.

 

He’d lined the ground outside your hut with blankets and pillows. There were trays of food, and more importantly, you smelled coffee.

 

“I think you’ll find the coffee from Vanaheim much stronger than Midguards.” He said with a hint of amusement as he walked around you, glancing at your awestruck face.

 

“Is that an Elfhet?” You asked in confusion, scampering over to the bowl of almost familiar fruit. But instead of being a dark purple, it was a bright, almost fluorescent pink.

 

“Elfsur. Whereas Elfhet’s grow and thrive in the darkness, Elfsur grow on the tallest branches of the tree’s of Vanaheim, closest to the light.” Loki explained, plucking one from the bowl and using a knife to cut it open.

 

The flesh inside was light blue with golden specs. He carved a slice from the fruit and speared it on the end of the knife, holding it to your lips. You sunk your teeth into it and gently tugged it from the blade.

 

“Oooh.” You said around the mouthful of fruit.

 

It was as strange tasting as the Elfhet had been but in a vastly different way, melting in your mouth and leaving behind a fresh aftertaste. You savoured the taste, even as you used your nose to find what you wanted most of all. Loki’s signature chuckle didn’t deter you from sniffing your way to the goblet of coffee and looking at him for permission before you grabbed it.

 

“Go ahead. This is all for you after all.” He said, gesturing to the breakfast picnic he’d assembled.

 

You carefully sipped at it, mindful of the steam rising from the cup and immediately choked. You’d had strong coffee before but this, this was intense. This was the absinthe of coffee’s. You were still recovering from the assault when Loki plucked the goblet from your grasp, softly tutting at you. He picked up some kind of white spherical… fruit? and cut it in half, holding it over your goblet and squeezing it. A milky looking fluid dripped out of it, mixing with the dark coffee to create swirling patterns in the liquid.

 

“Milkfruit?” You asked.

 

“Creamon. Essentially a milk fruit, yes.” He answered, using a spoon to stir the coffee before he handed it back to you.

 

“Thank you.” You chirped before you took a tentative sip under his watchful gaze and had to bite your tongue to stop yourself making an obscene noise.

 

The creamon had tempered the bitterness of the coffee and added a slight sweetness and you could appreciate the taste thoroughly.

 

“Well? What do you think?” He asked, his tone casual as if he didn’t much care either way, but his eyes told another story.

 

“Midguard can fuck off.” You said decisively.

 

Your unexpected declaration brought forth a surprised huff of laughter from him.  You took a generous swig from your goblet before starting to explore the various dishes, patting yourself on the back when you correctly identified the butter and slathered it on a slice of bread before passing it to Loki. Every so often he would spear another slice of Elfsur onto his knife and hold it out to you while you assembled two plates of food under his tutelage.

 

All you’d asked for was coffee and you’d ended up being given a culinary tour of another realm. The god of mischief did not do things by half-measures. 

 

There was still a gaping hole in your chest where the Avengers usually resided and while Loki couldn’t heal it, he was making it bearable. He was providing strength to you through his kindness and his company. And while you knew that soon you would have to deal with your sorrow, for now you just buried it. Maybe it wasn’t healthy but you weren’t ready to deal with it yet. So every time you thought about Steve, you forced yourself to pay attention to something else. When homesickness started to creep into the peripheral of your mind, you distracted yourself with the wonders of other worlds and realms. And when the pain of loss stabbed you in the heart, you looked at Loki and let the fondness for him sooth the ache.

 

“Thank you.” You said softly, not hiding the adoration for him in your gaze since he wasn’t looking at you.

 

“For?” He asked casually, picking apart his piece of bread.

 

“This. For doing something nice for me even though I was being a brat.”

 

“You’re always being a brat.”

 

“Touché.”

 

~~~

 

He was supposed to be training you, guiding you onto the path of becoming an assassin. They had time but not an unlimited amount of it, and yet here he was, wasting time that could be spent training you. Instead of training, you were playing with children. A gaggle of them had rushed you after breakfast, waving chubby fists in the air and shoving dolls into your hands. You’d turned your wide, pleading eyes on him and he’d crumbled before you even opened your mouth to ask.  So now you were on your knees in the dirt, chattering away in a ridiculously high pitched voice and putting on a play with dolls for the amusement of children while he sat in the shadows and rolled his eyes.

 

But he was glad to see you laugh and be free, even if it meant you being childish and ridiculous. Having you break down in his arms had caused him more pain than he’d ever be willing to admit and he never wanted you to have cause to cry like that again. You had tried to put a stop to his pans to reunite you with your family before they could even come to fruition but he didn’t know if he could do what you had asked.

 

He didn’t want to undo your choices, he wanted to respect them. You had absolved him of guilt, you had bore the burden of your choice alone, you had chosen him. He had everything he could possibly want, everything he though he could never really have, so why was he desperately trying to think of a way to throw it all away? Why had he developed a selfless streak now, at the most inopportune time?

 

He recognised the tread of the footsteps approaching him and sighed internally.

 

“Good morning Elder.”

 

“Good morning Mischief.” The old man replied jovially and Loki felt a prick of displeasure at the way your name for him sounded coming from another.

 

Curse you for telling these people to call him that, he much preferred the way you said it.

 

“This village has seen it’s share of visitors in my lifetime but none like her. We are a simple people who rely on one another, on each other kindness and most who come here simply tolerate that, honour it even, but they don’t understand it. Very few embrace it like Sky Lady.” Elder told him.

 

Loki turned his head to look at the man, surprised and curious about the way this conversation had begun and where it was going to go.

 

“We’ve had visitors with less honourable intentions though, and though it’s rare we have even had members of our community who were filled with a darkness. You might not think it to look at us, but we have known evil.” Elder lamented.

 

“Why are you telling me this?” Loki asked.

 

“I have seen what lurks behind your eyes, the darkness in them. Yet you have not harmed us, nor do I believe you will. Why is that?” Elder asked.

 

Loki saw no reason to lie, the old man was wiser than most and even if he knew the whole truth, there was nothing he could do.

 

“The elixir you posses is valuable and desirable, but she asked me not to endanger your people so I won’t do it. You’re safe from me.”

 

“She tempers your darkness.”

 

“She does.” Loki said quietly.

 

“She may bring out the light in you Mischief, but the light had to be there to be brought out to begin with. What she has brought forth to the surface has always lurked within you, the things you do in her name you have always been capable of. Yes, I see the darkness in your eyes but I see no evil, and I have seen evil.” Elder said sagely.

 

Something tight and painful stirred to life in his gut, uncoiling and sending waves of anger through him. How dare this creature address him this way, how dare he tell Loki who he was.

 

“Why are you telling me this?” He asked again, snarling out the words.

 

“You needed to hear it.” Elder said simply.

 

“I am Lo…” He was cut of by a shriek behind him, one he recognised and he whirled round, panicked at the sound of your voice.

 

But all he saw was you rolling in the dirt, a wide smile on your face as you allowed yourself to be bested in a wrestling match by a toddler.

 

“I yield! I yield!” You yelled, tears of laughter running down your face.

 

“It would seem your wife needs your help.” Elder noted in amusement.

 

“She’s right, we are not wed.” Loki sighed.

 

“She said there has been no ceremony. Here, two people can be wed by ceremony as well, but it is not the ritual that creates the bond or the titles that come with it. Two people who share one soul are wed, long before they stand by an alter.”

 

“We do not share a soul. Her soul is far lighter, more precious than mine. Do not insult her by implying she is bound to me in such a way.” He snapped, affronted by the implication.

 

“Night and day are two parts of the passage of time, two vastly different pieces of a much larger whole. And there can be light in the darkness as well as darkness in the day.” Elder argued gently.

 

This conversation had gone on too long and it needed to end before he did something you would most certainly not approve of.

 

“Well as you said, my wife needs me.” Loki snapped.

 

He strode over and stood above you while you grinned up at him. Turning his gaze to the children he stared them down while they blinked innocently at him, showing no fear whatsoever.

 

“She has to go now.” He told them firmly.

 

“No! Sky Lady stay and play with us.” A little girl, no more than five pouted at him.

 

“She’s ours now.” The little boy you’d wrestled with announced, grabbing hold of your hand with his.

 

“Give her back.” Loki sighed.

 

“I’m not a toy, you can’t just demand they hand me over.” You snorted.

 

“Oh? Can’t I?” He asked, kneeling down.

 

A mischievous smirk crept onto his face and he saw the children notice it, leaning forward in excitement. You were smarter, you knew it didn’t bode well for you and instinctively started scooting away, but not quickly enough. He grabbed your arm and pulled you back towards him, picking you up off the ground and slinging you across his shoulder as he stood up.

 

“Mischief!” You shrieked furiously, though your ire was seriously undercut by the laughter that followed.

 

“Put me down!” You demanded through your giggling.

 

“No, I don’t think I will.” He teased.

 

He could hear the delighted mirth bubbling from the children and the adults calling their spawn back to the village as he carried you away.

 

“I can walk.” You protested.

 

“And how, pray tell Kitten, can I trust you not to wander away? No, far safer if I carry you, that way we might actually reach our destination.” He decided. 

 

“Well if you insist.” You sighed, not sounding at all put out.

 

“After all, the view is asstronomically better from up here. I mean I’m really getting the rear end of the deal here, butt I can really get behind this plan of yours.” You said slyly.

 

He nearly tripped when he realised how much of a little minx you were being but managed to recover by bouncing you on his shoulder like it had been intentional.

 

“My thoughts exactly.“ He shot back.

 

And because he didn’t feel like living up to his title of liar just now, he did indeed take a moment to appreciate the view.

 

There wasn’t a part of you that wasn’t extremely satisfying to gaze at and he idly wondered if you were aware of that. Did you know how beautiful you were? Did you know how often his eyes were drawn to you? Surely you must.

 

He was pulled back from the path his mind had begun to wander down by a combination of your soft laughter and the tree’s parting to reveal the clearing he had deemed your training area. He dumped you unceremoniously on the ground, though he was careful to make sure you landed on a soft patch of grass. Judging by your affronted pout, you didn’t appreciate it anyway.

 

“So, what are we doing today Sensei?” You asked, clambering to your feet.

 

“We need you to be unflinching, without mercy when the time comes.” He sighed.

 

He was not particularly looking forward to this lesson. It would be harsh, and it would hurt you. But it was necessary.

 

“Oh, well I already have that covered.” You said blasély.

 

“Do you have any idea what kind of being you’ll be facing?” He snapped.

 

You were too jovial and chipper about this. You weren’t taking the magnitude of the threat you would be up against seriously enough. Knowing that your attitude could get you killed sent a shiver of cold ire through him.

 

“No, of course not… I’ve never met the bastard.” You reminded him.

 

“The Kree are a militaristic race, warriors by nature. Imagine that if you will, Kitten. A race that thrives on war, that trains it’s people in the art of combat from childhood. Now imagine a warrior so bloodthirsty that he is _banished_ by his people, a warrior so skilled that they dared not challenge or try to execute him. To Glah-Betn, anything in the universe that has a life force is a challenge, a hunt, a victim. He is assembling an army with the sole intent of waging war on the universe. He has no grudge, no score to settle, no cause beyond fighting for fighting’s sake. He is utterly ruthless, he is violent and bloodthirsty and savage. The only way to gain a place in his army, is to battle another recruit to the death.” Loki seethed.

 

“Well he sounds lovely. Why am I killing him again? It sounds like I should just invite him for a cup of tea.” You joked.

 

“If he makes it to midguard he will crush it beneath his boot. All that will be left of your planet is the Inhumans and they will be forced into servitude. Everyone you have ever known, everyone you have ever loved or hated or never even met will be slaughtered. Do you understand?” He snarled.

 

His words had shaken you, he could see that, but he didn’t feel guilty. He was glad. You needed to be aware of the threat, of what you would be facing.

 

“I understand.” You whispered softly.

 

“You need to learn to kill without hesitation. You will have to spill a lot of blood before you even get near him, some of it may be innocent. Can you live with that?” He asked.

 

“Probably not, no.” You admitted.

 

He sighed heavily.

 

“But I’ll do it anyway.” You said, choking the words out.

 

He could see the disgust, the trepidation and fear written across your face. But he could see the determination shining through it. You believed him when he told you what Glahn-Betn was, what kind of havoc he would wreak upon the universe if he wasn’t stopped. You were prepared to taint your soul to stop him, you would rip yourself apart and you wouldn’t falter.

 

You might believe you wouldn’t be able to live with yourself when it was over, but he knew you could. He would ensure it. It would be not killing Glahn-Betn that you wouldn’t be able to live with.

 

“Knife-throwing.” He said abruptly, conjuring five sharp blades and balancing them on a low hanging branch beside you.

 

“I know how to throw knives Mischief. Bucky taught me, he would give me a present every time I hit the target.” You told him, smiling fondly.

 

“Bucky?” He asked, frowning at the name.

 

Who the Hel was Bucky?

 

“The soldier with the metal arm. He’s Steve’s best friend, and one of mine.” You elaborated.

 

“Well ‘Bucky’ may have taught you the basics of Knife-throwing, but I will teach you to master it. Knives can be useful in killing from a distance and are more easily concealed than a gun.” He said testily, moving the topic away from this Bucky who you smiled so fondly for.

 

“I might not be a master but I don’t think I’m too bad at it.” You muttered.

 

“Then we shall see.” He told you, waving his hand to summon an illusion across the clearing from you.

 

“I am not throwing knives at Thor! Even if it is only an illusion.” You said, utterly aghast at the spectre he had conjured.

 

“He won’t mind.” Loki argued with a smirk.

 

“Noooo. Thor’s a big soft teddy bear. I don’t wanna.”

 

“Fine.” He sighed, put out by your refusal to pay along, not that he’d really expected you to.

 

“That being said, he did eat my pop tarts.” You mused, picking up a knife and eyeing the illusion with a wicked glint in your eye.

 

“So we have our target, Throw the knives, if the shot is lethal, you pass.” He summarised.

 

“I’ll make you a deal. Five knives, if I make a kill shot with three.. you have to hand over the Tesseract so I can use it, no questions asked.” You negotiated.

 

“And why would I do that?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at you.

 

He didn’t doubt you, he knew it wasn’t a ploy to escape him. That didn’t mean he trusted you though, not at all. Whatever you wanted it for, it would somehow get you into trouble, he could sense it. You had that innocent look on your face, the one that you were planning on doing something stupid.

 

“No questions Mischief.”

 

“If I agree, what do I get when you fail?” He asked, slightly interested in your little game.

 

“Whatever you want.” You shrugged.

 

An abundance of guttural, visceral and inappropriate images flashed through his mind. ‘Whatever he wanted’ covered a great deal of possibilities.

 

“Four out of five and you have yourself a deal.” He bartered.

 

You grinned triumphantly and flipped a knife in your hand, testing it’s weight.

 

“Deal.” You said straight away.

 

“You aren’t going to ask what I want Kitten?”

 

“Like there’s anything you could ask of me that I wouldn’t give you anyway.” You said like it was obvious.

 

“You have no idea what I want.” He said lowly.

 

“No, but I know there’s nothing you could possibly ask of me that I wouldn’t do.” You said easily.

 

You were either telling the truth or you had far more trust in him than he deserved. Either option was as unlikely as the other.

 

The first knife sailed through the illusion, hitting it squarely between the eyes.

 

“That’s one!” You counted off.

 

The second was on a similarly victorious course until the illusion dodged left at the last second and the knife missed completely. You turned around to glare at him petulantly.

 

“You’ll find that people rarely stand still when you’re throwing knives at them Kitten.” He defended.

 

“Fine.” You harrumphed, spinning the third knife in your hand.

 

You drew your arm back and the illusion rushed you, dodging and weaving but somehow  you still managed to hit it through the eye.

 

“And that’s two.” You crowed happily.

 

“Impressive.” He said honestly.

 

You winked at him and flicked the fourth knife at the illusion without warning, or even turning around. It went straight through the heart. He tilted his head at you, perplexed.

 

“Three?” You checked with him, since you hadn’t actually seen if it had hit it’s mark.

 

He was tempted to lie but he nodded at you and you grinned widely.

 

“It all comes down to this one then.” You said, picking up the fifth and final knife.

 

You turned around and carefully studied the illusion before drawing your arm back, but when you thrust your arm back forward and he made the illusion drop to the ground he realized you’d feinted, the knife was still in your hand. You flicked it at the illusion and he could see it was going to hit it’s mark, he wouldn’t be able to move it quickly enough.

 

So he dropped the illusion completely.

 

The knife embedded itself in the ground as you whirled around furiously.

 

“You cheated!”

 

“That is what I do.” He pointed out.

 

“But…”

 

“You were delightfully non-specific with the rules Kitten, so technically I didn’t cheat. You lost, fair and square.” He said calmly.

 

Your jaw dropped and he could see the frustration rolling off of you in waves.

 

“Aw no.” You whispered softly to yourself, looking down at the ground forlornly.

 

He crossed the space between you and hooked his finger under your chin, forcing you to look at him.

 

“You can pout about your loss later, it’s time for me to claim my prize.” He told you, his lips curling into a smirk.

 

“Alright Mischief, what do I owe you?”

 

“I want you to do something for me, something I suspect you have never really done, something that will not be easy for you to do but will satisfy me a great deal.” He whispered, tilting his head down so he was inches from your face.

 

He could feel your pulse quicken beneath his fingers, thundering through your veins.

 

“What?” You choked out, your pupils dilating.

 

“I want you to… be careful for once.” He ordered, releasing you.

 

He saw the confusion on your face melt away into sheer joy as he held out the Tesseract to you.

 

“You’re giving it to me anyway?”

 

“Take it before I change my mind.” He sighed.

 

You bit down on your bottom lip, trying to contain the giddy smile taking over your face. He was bluffing, there was no way he would change his mind, not with the way your eyes were shining and you were gazing at him like… like you felt for him a fraction of the way he felt for you. You grabbed the Tesseract with one hand and stepped in close to him, rising onto your tiptoes to press a chaste kiss to his cheek.

 

“I’ll be back in ten minutes tops.” You whispered to him.

 

Then you released him and you were gone, leaving him stood in the clearing, dumbstruck.

 

This wasn’t the first time he had willingly and easily passed up a chance to have something to hold over you. At every turn he had forsaken his nature in favour of doing whatever he had to do to ensure your happiness.

 

But he was still inclined towards mischief, just without the dark twists. You hadn’t changed anything within him, not really, you just brought out a more playful side to him that had long since been buried. What was it Elder had said?

 

_“What she has brought forth to the surface has always lurked within you.”_

You were bringing light to his darkness, reminding him of who had once been, who he had once thought he was instead of the monster he had become. When you turned one of those blinding smiles his way he didn’t forget the horrific crimes he had committed but he didn’t feel weighed down by them, he didn’t feel like they defined him anymore. When you touched him he didn’t feel like the horrid monster he was by birth.

 

Over time, God of Mischief had come to mean something darker than originally intended. It meant betrayal and harsh trickery, mistrust. But in your presence, he was reminded of what it could be, what Mischief could mean, what it meant to you. Cleverness and excitement, fun and laughter, jokes and adventures. That is what it had been to him so long ago, before he fell from grace.

 

Why were you so special? What was it about you that affected him so much, brought forth long forgotten lightness and hope in him? From the moment he had met you, there had been something about you that quenched his insatiable rage and ignited a spark of something warm and bright in him.

 

Why? Why you? What were you doing to him?

 

The answer was so dazingly obvious it was laughable and he had known all along why you, but the knowledge had been shoved into the peripheral of his vision, steadfastly ignored. Fear had kept the damning fact locked away.

 

Until now, until he madly grasped at it.

 

He’d built up his walls over a millennia, painstakingly placing each stone between his heart and the world and in one soul shattering moment they crumbled. They exploded within him, reduced to rubble and everything he’d contained within was released, the force of it physically knocking the breath from him.

 

He clutched desperately at the nearest tree branch, his hand nearly splintering it as his mind whirled and raced.

 

“Mischief! I did it!”

 

He heard your exuberant cry as you returned to him and your racing footsteps coming towards him. His mind was still trying to process everything but his body reacted intuitively, turning around with his arms open and ready to catch you as you jumped into them. Without waiting for permission from his distracted brain, one arm wrapped solidly around your waist while his other hand slid up to cradle your head, fingers entangling themselves in your hair.

 

“And I was careful, I stopped to borrow a spacesuit and everything!” You told him smugly, your joy bubbling out of you.  

 

He couldn’t lie to himself any longer, he couldn’t hide from it. He was in love with you.

 

~~~Earth: NASA Headquarters~~~

 

“This has got to be a prank, right?”

 

“But how?”

 

“There’s no way…”

 

“How did it get here?”

 

“I’m going to call it in.”

 

“Sir, the stolen spacesuit was returned a few minutes later, but that’s not all. It’s… well it’s the Mars Curiosity Rover Sir… It’s home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long one. Phew, this one was emotional to write.   
> Aside from the momentous ending, I really had fun with the rest of the chapter. Especially the rescue of the Mars Curiosity Rover. 
> 
> And no, I will not apologize for the booty puns.


	13. Mischief Squared

Loki was being sullen.

 

So naturally you shot him.

 

“Norns woman, you’re supposed to be aiming at the targets, not at me!” He hissed, patting his sleeve to stop it smoking from where you’d grazed him with the laserbeam.

 

“Woops?” You said innocently, offering him a sassy smirk.

 

He frowned at you and wandered further away, shielding himself behind a tree as he monitored your progress.

 

In contrast to his strangely quiet mood, you were having the time of your life. He’d handed you an arsenal of alien weaponry and told you to familiarise yourself with it.

 

The gun was the same as the one you had picked up on the roof on The Distillers planet and you’d figured out how to use it properly this time. You’d found the best way to hold it against your shoulder to adjust for the kickback and as for aiming, it was the same as anything else. There was a small cartridge much like a regular gun but instead of bullets, it held a charge that fired the searing hot laser. You continued firing at the targets, counting the shots in your head.

 

“24 shot’s in this one, same as the last three. So each cartridge has 23 shots.” You called over to Loki but he gave no sign of having heard you.

 

You sighed and tossed the gun aside, moving onto some of the other weapons. You picked up a metal staff about 2ft long and gave it an experimental twirl in your hands. There were intricate carvings in it that you let your fingers trace curiously.

 

“Careful!” Loki barked at you, a second too late.

 

You’d pushed some kind of triggering mechanism and a wickedly sharp blade erupted from the end of the staff, millimetres away from your eye. You held it away from your face and looked sheepishly at Loki who was literally facepalming.

 

“If you hold the staff from the centre and slide your thumb upwards along the lines, you’ll release the blade. Slide your thumb up and to the left, carefully.” He instructed, walking over hesitantly.

 

You did as he said and the blade clicked to the side, effectively turned the spear into a sort of scythe.

 

“Good girl. Do it in reverse now.” He urged.

 

You did, and the blade slid neatly back into the staff.

 

“If you slide your thumb downwards instead of up you’ll achieve the same results but from the other end.” He informed you before walking away again.

 

It could be a staff, a spear, a double ended spear, a scythe or a double ended scythe. You were relatively sure it was your favourite thing in the whole universe.

 

“Judging by that gleam in your eye, you like it. Keep it, it’s yours.” He called over to you.

 

“Really?” You asked excitedly.

 

“Hardly seems worth lying about. Yes, really.” He sighed.

 

The staff was your second favourite thing in the universe.

 

“Thanks Mischief.” You said sweetly, smiling benignly at him.

 

You walked into the centre of the clearing so you had plenty of room to manoeuvre and making sure to hold it away from you, started playing around with the different options. It was a simple enough concept, whichever direction you slid your thumb, the blades would follow. The trick was never moving your hand from the centre of the staff and keeping your fingers still when moving with it. You planted your feet and held an easy stance, twirling the staff around in the air to get used to the weight and balance of it before you started tossing it from hand to hand, executing a series of more elaborate twirls. Once you had the hang of that you let yourself really move, almost dancing around the clearing with the staff, moving fluidly.

 

You didn’t start playing with the blades until you were confident you could hold the staff right and it took a bit of practice to be able to direct the blades correctly but eventually you were pretty impressed with how well you were handling the weapon. You looked over at Loki for approval, half expecting him to still be sulking in the shade but he wasn’t, he was stood at the very edge of the clearing with a deeply amused expression as he watched you.

 

“What?” You asked concernedly, worried you’d been doing something wrong.

 

“You’re very good at fighting thin air.”

 

“Easy for you to say from all the way over there.” You goaded.

 

“Is it? Or is it easier to say from here?” Loki asked, from behind you.

 

You whirled around to see him stood a few metres away. You looked between the two Loki’s, understanding dawning on you.

 

“Which one’s the real you?” You asked, looking between them for some sort of discrepancy, a tell-tale sign.

 

“This one.” A third Loki said, stepping out of the shade.

 

“Or is it this one?” A fourth asked, emerging from behind the trees.

 

Suddenly there were oven a dozen of him circling you. You cocked your head to the side and looked around at them curiously.

 

“So Kitten, which one is the real me?” One of them asked.

 

“I thin the important question is are any of these doppelgängers solid? Because my mind is racing with the possibilities right now.” You smirked.

 

They chuckled in unison and the hairs on your arms stood up at having his laugh drown you in surround sound. You picked one at random and hesitantly reached out and placed your hand on it’s chest. It fizzled out of existence and you pouted.

 

“Wrong choice Kitten.”

 

One of the Loki’s lunged for you but you remained still, letting it pass right through you.

 

“How brave and unflinching. Are you as brave if there’s real danger?” A Loki asked and they all shimmered green, swords appearing in all of their hands.

 

“Guess we’re about to find out.” You sighed.

 

You studied them all carefully, your head tilted to the side. One by one they swung at you and you allowed it, not moving. It wasn’t until the seventh Loki attacked that you brought the staff up, blocking the sword. The clang of metal hitting metal rung out across the clearing and the real Loki looked surprised that you’d managed to identify him.

 

“Pro tip for you Mischief, your illusions don’t have heartbeats.” You told him, tapping your ear with your free hand.

 

An unenhanced human wouldn’t have been able to pick up on it, but if you concentrated hard enough, you could.

 

The illusions all disappeared as he straightened up and looked at you appraisingly.

 

“I’m impressed.” He admitted.

 

“I’m flattered.”

 

“You are also quite a natural with this.” He said, closing his hand around the staff and gently tugging it from you.

 

“Not going to lie, I’m in love with it.” You admitted excitedly.

 

Loki shot you a strange look, no doubt judging your strange and immediate attachment to an inanimate object.

 

“It is customary for a warrior to name their weapon.” He mused.

 

A thousand possibilities shot through your mind but only one truly resonated with you.

 

“Mischief.” You said.

 

“Yes Kitten?”

 

“No, it’s called Mischief.” You explained.

 

“Absolutely not.” He said straight away.

 

“Why not? It’s beautiful, dangerous, tricky, far more than it appears and it will keep me safe.” You shrugged.

 

He sighed when he saw how determined you were and his eyes softened.

 

“There’s no talking you out of this, is there?” He asked, handing it back to you.

 

“Nope.”

 

“Very well.” He acquiesced  and you saw him restrain himself from rolling his eyes again.

 

He could protest and tease all he liked, you could see the pink tinge on his cheeks. He was blushing. He was flattered and you knew it.

 

“Does that mean you’re ready to tell me why you’ve been in such a strange mood all afternoon?” You asked hopefully.

 

It was the wrong thing to say because his expression immediately darkened. His playful demeanour melted away.  

 

“I am simply taking your training seriously.” He said, turning on his heel and stalking away.

 

He left a trail of illusions in his wake. There were masked soldiers dressed all in black, Chitahuri and a few more gods of mischief for you to play with. Their attacks couldn’t harm you, but you fought them as if they could, slicing and stabbing at them while he kept them coming until the sweat poured off of you and you were breathless.

 

You slid across the grass on your knees, slicing through three Chitahuri illusions and coming to a halt in a crouch in front of…

 

“Steve?”

 

Steve looked down at you coldly and raised the shield, bringing it down on you. You barely managed to twist out of the way in time and only then did the shock clear and you realized it was just another illusion.

 

“Stop it. Stop this!” You yelled at Loki, scrambling backwards away from the fake Steve as it swung at you.

 

“Get rid of it yourself. You know how.” Loki suggested.

 

“Why are you doing this?” You asked desperately.

 

It was your worst fear made manifest. This was not the kind, loving man you had come to see as a father. This Steve looked at you like he didn’t know you, like he didn’t care.

 

“Because you need to be unflinching. Your humanity will get you killed.” Loki snapped.

 

“Does Glahn-Betn have magic?” You yelled.

 

“No.”

 

“Then he’s not going to disguise himself as my father!” You snarled.

 

“But he will be cruel. He will do whatever he can to break you down, to force you to show weakness.” Loki argued.

 

You chanced a glance at him and he looked about as torn up as you felt.

 

He was right, you knew he was. You needed to be strong enough to do what lay ahead and all Loki was doing was building you up. How could you expect to be ruthless enough to fight your way into an army and climb the ranks so you could assassinate somebody if you couldn’t even bring yourself to fight an illusion of Steve? You’d thrown knives at an illusion of Thor, you’d already been through several Loki’s, why was this more painful.

 

Because you hadn’t disappointed Loki. Because you were  afraid that Steve would look at you this way the next time you saw him, with cold, empty eyes.

 

“I can’t.” You whispered.

 

The false Steve disappeared as the real Loki came over to you, his hands held out placatingly.

 

“I am sorry. I am. I truly did not think you would be so upset, I only meant to throw you off balance, not to hurt you, never to hurt you.” Loki said heavily and you knew he was being truthful.

 

“It’s alright. Bring back the Chitahuri, I like stabbing those fuckers.” You sighed, dragging your sleeve across your forehead to wipe away the sheen of sweat.

 

He sighed softly and nodded, stepping away as he obliged your request. You went back to work, taking your frustration out on the mirages and forced yourself to put Steve from your mind.

 

~~~Meanwhile On Earth~~~

 

The more time passed, the harder Bucky knew Steve was taking it. He tracked his friend down to an empty lounge room in the tower and found him sitting alone, staring down at his wallet. When he heard Bucky’s approach Steve looked up from the photo he’d been studying with a pain filled expression.

 

“I can’t take this anymore Bucky. I don’t know where she is or what she’s doing. I don’t know if she’s ok, if she’s… She came back to say goodbye, just in case.” Steve told him heavily.

 

“She’s got your blood in her veins Steve. All your stubbornness and a lot more sense. Which isn’t saying much mind you.” Bucky teased lightly.

 

“Jerk.”

 

“Punk.” Bucky shot back automatically and a brief grin flickered on Steve’s face before his eyes filled with loss again and he sat back with a heavy sigh.

 

“That was the first time I ever told her that I loved her.” Steve whispered softly.

 

There was more he wanted to say, Bucky could tell, so he sat down and patiently waited for his friend to tell him what was on his mind.

 

“I held her at arm’s length, I was prepared to be her Captain, her mentor and her friend but not her father. The first time she called me dad it was a joke, she was teasing me because I made her put salad on her plate but it scared me because it didn’t feel like a joke. When I came out of the ice I gave up on all those dreams, but fatherhood snuck up on me and I didn’t realise until it was too late.”

 

“It’s not too late.” Bucky said straight away.

 

“What if it is? What if I did it again, what if I was too late?” Steve said, admitting his fears out loud.

 

“Don’t give up on her Steve. And do you really think she didn’t know you loved her? Who carries her picture in his wallet?”

 

“I do.” Steve said, automatically looking down at the photo.

 

“Uh huh, and what idiot insisted on buying every piece of her Avengers merch even though he could get it for free?”

 

“Me.” Steve muttered, hanging his head in embarrassment.

 

“And who pulled the ‘I’m captain America’ card, even though he hates doing it, to book the Hayden Planetarium for her birthday?”

 

“Me, clearly.” Steve said with wry amusement.

 

“And who taught her to throw a proper punch?”

 

“You did…” Steve said with a hint of confusion.

 

“Damn straight. A super soldier serum and seventy years later and you still can’t throw a decent left hook. But I taught her it, Nat taught her how to use her size and speed to her advantage, Sam taught her how to cope with her shit, Bruce taught her how to sew up other people’s wounds because she couldn’t heal them like she did herself, Stark taught her… Well to be honest he mainly taught her which strip clubs to frequent.” Bucky said with a little smirk, knowing that last part would catch Steve’s attention.

 

“He did what?” Steve snapped, looking up at Bucky with blazing eyes.

 

“My point is, she knows who her family is and you taught her how to love them and be loved. She’s coming back to us. She’s got the Rogers spirit and nothing can keep a Rogers down.”

 

“How can you be so calm?” Steve asked desperately.

 

“I’m terrified. But if she finds out we let you go off the rails when she gets back she’ll smother us all in our sleep. She’ll probably beat me with my own arm again.” Bucky said, wincing at the memory.

 

“To be fair Buck, you shouldn’t have hidden it under her pillow.” Steve admonished.

 

In his defence, it had been Sam’s idea and he thought it was one of the birdbrains better ones. Until you’d screamed the compound down in fright and then proceeded to chase him around in your pyjamas and smack him repeatedly with the arm before he could apologise.

 

The T.V switched itself on and both of them sat up, startled.

 

“Thought you two geriatrics might want to see this.” Tony’s disembodied voice told them through the speakers.

 

“Officials at NASA were baffled earlier today when an unidentified individual broke into the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas to steal a Z-2 spacesuit prototype, the spacesuit NASA have been developing for Astronauts on Mars. What was truly perplexing though was that the suit was returned just ten minutes later and testing revealed that it had in fact been used on Mars. That’s not the only thing that was returned to Earth though. Alongside the spacesuit was The Mars Curiosity Rover which broke down on Mars in February. Officials said that the only sign of the intruder was a blue flash of light picked up by the security cameras.” The reporter said.

 

“You don’t think?” Bucky asked.

 

“Earlier today we spoke to Astronaut Brian Anderson, here’s what he had to say.” The reported said.

 

“We went down to investigate the security breach and there rover was, just sitting there with a note pinned to him that said ‘I missed you.’.” The astronaut told the camera.

 

“I think she did.” Steve said, a grin breaking across his face.

 

And for the first time in days, Steve laughed.

 

~~~Back On Clarius~~~

 

“If you could see me now mother.” Loki spoke softly, looking up at the sky.

 

He had left you in the village when you had been shepherded away to help them cook. It was your own fault for using the Clavien foods to make an approximation of what you had proudly deemed ‘pizza’. Since he had no intention of helping them with their chores and he didn’t feel like standing around and watching you in the hope you would smile over at him, he had walked away from the village with only his own tortured mind for company.

 

“Oh how the mighty have fallen. I attacked midguard, tried to take over it and look at me now… Desperately fighting to save it because I’ve fallen for a mortal, the same mortal who I have to endanger to save the realm.” He lamented to the sky, to Frigga looking down on him with patient frustration.  

 

It wasn’t until he said it that he realised what he’d admitted. Killing Glahn-Betn hadn’t been an altruistic goal, it was survival. There was a bounty on his head and the more powerful Glahn-Betn became, the more of a thorn in Loki’s side he would become. But you were fighting to protect your world and all the worlds that would be endangered after it fell. Your intentions were the definition of honourable. And somehow that had become his cause as well. For him, this was no longer about survival. It was about saving the universe from a tyrant and a warlord. Perhaps his reasons weren’t entirely selfless, he was doing it for you after all. But they weren’t as selfish as he’d outwardly pretended either.  

 

If he could, he would take your place as the assassin. But his seiðr was not infallible and if he was revealed, the plan would fall apart. It needed to be you.

 

He could take you back to The Avengers, leave you there where you would be safe. He could find another to serve as the assassin, he could unleash a virus  on Glahn-Betn and his army, he could find another way.

 

But no plan he could scramble up would have as high a chance of succeeding. You were perfect for the part, it was why he had chosen you in the first place. You were strong and capable but what he hadn’t expected, what nobody would expect, was that you were so resilient. Glahn-Betn couldn’t be beaten by brute force, he could only be defeated with wits, by somebody he would underestimate. The only reason he was second-guessing his plan now was because he had been foolish enough to fall in love with you.

 

He couldn’t lose you, he couldn’t let you fail. If you died… he would unleash the virus. He would burn the planet to the ground, he would decimate the whole universe in his rage.

 

And your spirit would join his mothers as you both looked down on him with bitter disappointment.

 

The light patter of your footsteps was a familiar sound to him so he wasn’t surprised when you walked up beside him.

 

“Whatcha doing?” You enquired gently.

 

“Trying to find some peace and quiet and apparently failing.” He sarked.

 

He could see the flash of hurt in your eyes and he had to force down the instinct to soothe it.

 

“I guess we have kind of been on top of each other, and not in a fun way” You shrugged apologetically.

 

The mental images that errant comment sparked in his mind left him swallowing thickly and turning away from you.

 

“Mischief you’ve got the Tesseract, just take off.” You sighed.

 

“You want me to abandon you here?” He asked in disbelief, masking his hurt with shock.

 

“I’ll be fine until you get back.” You assured him.

 

He was relieved to realise you weren’t suggesting he permanently leave you. You were trying to be thoughtful, meeting his prickly temperament with understanding and caring.

 

“Excellent idea Kitten. I’ll return for you in the morning, be ready to leave.” He decided after a long moment of deliberation.

 

“Leave? I’m not ready, we’re not ready. We can’t!” You said quickly, slipping into frenzied panic.

 

“But you are. You know who and what you will be facing. You know the price of failure, you know it’s not an option. Any more time spent languishing here would just be risking Glahn-Betn making his move on your home. It’s time Kitten. I will go and scope out the planet under disguise to prepare for your arrival. I suggest you say farewell to the villagers you’ve become so fond of.” He told you.

 

It was true, because he was starting to understand that your strength was in your kindness and your love. He could break you down, make you colder and more bloodthirsty, but it would only weaken you. Your determination and willingness to commit to this cause came from your love of your people and your home, your desire to protect innocent lives and worlds you’d never even heard of.

 

What he’d always perceived as weakness was what made you one of the strongest people he had known.

 

“Well you’re the one running this show, if you say I’m ready who am I, a humble mortal, to argue with you?” You sighed.

 

“Finally, she learns her place.” He sniped and he could tell from the way you rolled your eyes that you knew he wasn’t being serious.

 

“Where is he? Where are you going?” You asked as he retrieved the Tesseract.

 

“The planet was one he easily took over, repurposing it to his needs. It’s called Asylum and before Glahn-Betn took it, that’s what it was.”

 

Amusement lit up your eyes and he was heartened to see the return of your smile.

 

“Well, we’ll fit right in.” You joked.

 

“It’s in the same star system as your Earth. The population are largely… unhinged and therefore were unequipped for an invasion. Now the planet hosts a portion of his army as well as his supporters and allies. It is a dangerous place for anyone who is not on his side and ideally located to launch an attack on your world.” He elaborated.

 

“Well then, I’ll add that to the list of reason I’m going to annihilate this guy. Those people deserve their home back Mischief, they deserve their peace and sanctity.” You said firmly, raising your chin defiantly.

 

It seemed your kindness knew no bounds. You would take in anybody, no matter how insane, broken or unwanted they were by the rest of the universe.

 

“Say goodbye and rest well Kitten, for tomorrow you go to war.” He warned.

 

“Be safe Mischief.” You whispered.

 

He couldn’t seem to help himself, even as he knew it was unwise to be so free with his affections he found himself leaning in, his hand cupping the back of your head and tilting it towards his lips so he could press them gently to your forehead.

 

And then he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we know our next destination... And things are going to get a whole lot dicier on a planet called Asylum. It's a real planet in the comics but I will be doing my own spin on it like usual and I am excited!!! 
> 
> As usual I would love to know what you though of this chapter if you feel like giving my needy ass some feedback.


	14. Outfitted For War

When one woke up with god of mischief hovering over them, a dagger in his hand, the sensible response wasn’t to yawn at him and lazily swipe his hand away.

 

“Good morning Kitten.” He purred, teasing the skin under your ear with the tip of the blade.

 

“Morning Mischief.” You sighed sleepily.

 

There was a tugging motion on your scalp and Loki moved away from you, standing up.

 

“Did you just cut my hair?” You frowned.

 

He held up a lock of your hair between his fingers and you grimaced.

 

“Why?” You asked in confusion, patting your head.

 

Your fingers found a thin braid pleated into your hair, behind your ear and you pulled at it, studying the plait.

 

“I’m sorry, is this some kind of Asgardian version of a friendship bracelet? Why have you braided a lock of your hair into mine?” You chuckled.

 

“So I do not lose you.” He shrugged, dumping a tray of breakfast foods onto your lap while you sat up.

 

You just looked at him until he graced you with a better explanation.

 

“It is to ensure that I can locate you, no matter where you might end up. I will not be able to stay by your side on Asylum, this ensures I can find you again.” He elaborated.

 

“Fair enough.” You shrugged.

 

You were trying to act nonchalant about it but there was something strangely intimate about what he had done, in a primal way and it was making your heart pitter patter in your chest. You toyed with the braid while you picked up the goblet of coffee with the other hand and sipped happily at it.

 

“Eat it all, you will need your strength.” He ordered in a tone that brokered no argument.

 

You picked up a slice of toasted yellow bread and made a big show out of biting into it which seemed to satisfy him.

 

“From what I was able to find out, Glahn-Betn not only still resides on Asylum but the army has grown considerably. We are running short on time to stop him.” He dictated.

 

Guess you weren’t even allowed to finish eating before you moved into the pre-mission briefing. At least he had given you breakfast in bed, that was thoughtful.

 

“Good thing we’re going now then.” You said once you swallowed a mouthful of fruit.

 

“Tell me again what you must do.” He said tightly.

 

That was when you realized it. Loki was _nervous._ Considering he wasn’t the one walking into danger, that meant he was nervous for you. You played along with him, trying to soothe his nerves by being as brisk and serious as you could be.

 

“I need to fight for a place within the army and continue to impress them so I move up the ranks and swiftly. I need to be skilled enough to draw attention but not so much that Glahn-Betn will see me as a potential threat. Once I am high enough up in the ranks I start watching his movements and patterns until I find an opportunity to strike. Then I kill him and run as fast as I can.” You summarised.

 

“You will need to lie about who you are, do not let them suspect you are from ‘Earth’. Show no signs of weakness or mercy, do not question your orders. Be a good soldier, obedient and loyal.”

 

“Be strong but not too strong, be obedient but not mindless, be noticed but blend in. Be a walking contradiction, I’ve got it.” You assured.

 

“Most importantly, be _careful_ Kitten.” He reminded you.

 

“Stop fretting mother hen. I know what to do, I’m prepared and I know the price if I fail.” You said, finishing off the last bite of food and washing it down with a swig of coffee.

 

“Did you say goodbye?” He asked, nodding towards the door.

 

“Yeah, you missed a hell of a party.” You sniggered.

 

You had told Elder you were departing the next morning and the villagers had all come together to send you off. It had been a night of dancing around the flickering flames of a bonfire, hand in hand with the children you’d come to adore. You’d dutifully kneeled in the dirt and allowed people to say prayers to their gods on your behalf, your heart bursting with fondness and your eyes burning at the thoughtful gesture. You had drank cup after cup of amber liquor, proving to them that you had an inhuman tolerance for alcohol. You had laughed until your chest ached and danced until your head spun.

 

At some point during the festivities you had been pulled into the blue grass with Elder, the sage old man clasping his hands with your own and offering you a departing piece of wisdom.

 

_“I don’t know what it is you are setting off to do but I can tell it weighs heavy on you Sky lady. It is clear you and your husband are warriors of a kind and knowing your heart as I do, I know whatever your cause, it is a righteous one. I wish you luck.”_

_“Thank you.” You said softly, squeezing his hands._

_“We will miss you, you fit in well with us in a way few visitors have.” He mused kindly._

_“Maybe… Maybe I’ll return one day.” You said wistfully, hopefully._

_“You won’t. Your heart does not belong on this small corner of the universe, it belongs elsewhere. But I can see it is torn. You are stuck between who you are, who you want to be and who you think you should be.” He warned you._

_Were you an Avenger or an assassin? A hero or an anti-hero?  Or were you something else entirely? Were you Captain America’s daughter or the God of Mischiefs friend and could you find a way to be both?_

_“What do I do?” You asked, pleading with him to help you figure it out._

_“There is no easy answer. Perhaps you think I will tell you that you should be true to yourself, but that is such an easy answer and yet the most difficult thing to do. You must live Sky lady, live your life and make your choices as you go. Let love and loyalty guide you and never stay stagnant between two choices.” He advised._

 

“I told you to rest.” Loki sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

 

“I did. Will you stop fussing and let me go wash up?” You laughed, clambering out of the bed and breezing past him, towards the bathroom.

 

“Do not tarry, we leave as soon as you are ready.” He shouted through the door as you kicked it shut.

 

You rolled your eyes at him even though he couldn’t see it and pulled doff your tunic, turning the taps on.

 

It was sweet in a way you didn’t think he would be sweet. But if even Loki was worried about you, how screwed were you?

 

As you bathed you pondered the coming mission and tried to stuff your nerves into a box in your mind, locking them away as best you could.

 

You felt like something was missing, like you were forgetting something, but you knew what it was. A patented Captain America pep talk, with added Stark sass peppered throughout. You’d never gone on a mission without one. You’d never ever done this alone.

 

It didn’t feel right, not having Bucky hovering over you and checking all your weapons were properly loaded and holstered. You wanted Sam to come and double check you were hydrated and sneak chocolate bars into your pocket. You needed Clint to offer you a fistbump and a wink. You missed Wanda squeezing your hand, seeking assurance and offering it at the same time. You needed Nat to throw extra ammo at you and assess you with a discerning look before she gave a confident nod, telling you that you were ready. You even missed Tony blatantly complimenting how well the suit fit you while he side-eyed a seething Steve.

 

You missed your family. You needed them.

 

“You’re a grown ass superhero, you don’t need you daddy to come and tell you how to do this.” You hissed angrily, pulling yourself out of the water.

 

You dried and dressed as quickly as you could, metaphorically beating your doubts into submission.

 

Before you opened the door you took one last deep breath and readied yourself.

 

“You can do this.” You vowed to yourself.

 

 “I wish I had my Avengers suit with me. I feel stupid going off the warn in jeans and a t-shirt.” You grumbled as you walked back into the room.

 

“I thought you might.” Loki said, tossing something at you.

 

It was a long black coat, made of tough but smooth leather. It wasn’t quite Midgardian style, but it wasn’t quite Asgardian either. You looked up at him in surprise and he nodded towards the bed where the rest of the ‘outfit’ was lain out. There were a pair of tight leggings made of a similar material to you Avengers suit, a solid but breathable material, a leather corset with a surprisingly modest and high necklined undershirt and a pair of knee-high leather combat boots.

 

You turned around to ask him where he’d gotten this and more importantly, to thank him but he was gone. Probably giving you privacy to change into it, so that’s what you did.

 

No offence to Tony and his eye for design, but you felt infinitely more bad-ass and put together in this than in the skin tight combat suit he’d provided. The material of this outfit was tight, but not uncomfortably so and there was a lot of give in it, allowing for ease of movement. There was a holster along your spine that held Mischief securely and you found that it was incredibly easy to reach behind your head and pull it out or slide it back in. Slipping the heavy coat on you found that it didn’t hinder your movements either. You were dressed as a warrior but you didn’t outwardly appear to be so.

 

You were outfitted like an assassin.

 

You had to hand it to Loki, he’d done good. You might have expected him to dress you in green but he’d opted for all black, except for one very important detail. There was a flap of material over your torso that when peeled back revealed a fabric insignia sewn in. Unless they knew to look for it, nobody would find it. The emblem of Captain America’s Shield contrasted well against the black leather and in the centre, where the star usually resided, was the Avengers A. He’d had the foresight and kindness to make sure you had a symbol of home pressed to your heart. He’d probably had to swallow a lot of pride and distaste to do it as well.

 

You strode out of the hut with a newfound confidence, your shoulder thrown back and your head held high. Loki looked up as soon as you walked through the doors and for a moment he froze.

 

“How do I look?” You asked, holding your arms out.

 

“Like someone to be feared.” He said with weight.

 

He stepped forward and pulled open you coat, sliding an array of his own daggers into the attached sheaths.

 

“Thank you, for all of it, but especially for this.” You whispered, tapping your chest where the secret insignia was.

 

“They would be proud, if they knew the truth about all this. They would be proud of all you have done and all you will yet do.” He said dismissively.

 

You hoped he was right.

 

“After all, you made an ally of one of their greatest foes. Without bloodshed, without fighting, you have defeated me.” He added with a sassy smirk.

 

“Are you defeated, Mischief?”

 

“Without a doubt.” He said without hesitation.  

 

He gently tugged your coat closed and looked down at you, his face startlingly close to yours while his arm slid around your waist for a heartbeat, you thought he was going to lean in kiss you but your hope was shattered when you saw the Tesseract in his hand and the ground disappeared from beneath your feet as the blinding blue light filled your vision.

 

As soon as it cleared you were visually assaulted by a bevy of colours and a sycophancy of loud noises.

 

“Ah, my eyes!” You winced, shielding them.

 

Loki dragged you somewhere while you held your hand over your eyes and you didn’t dare look until your back met a wall. You opened them to see you were in some kind of small alcove down an alleyway and unable to resist, you peered out onto the street again.

 

“What Fresh hell is this?” You asked, scrunching up your nose.

 

“This is Asylum.” Loki said stiffly.

 

“Then why does it look like… well, the 80’s?” You asked.

 

It looked like a Bizzaro version of Earth, all neon signs and fluorescent colours and more diverse than even The Distillers Planet had been in terms of different aliens you could see walking down the street. It looked like what you imagined the inside of Elton John’s brain looked like but with a fuckton more aliens, a murky yellow sky and…

 

“Is that building made of _bones_?”

 

It definitely was, and now that you were looking you could see it wasn’t the only one. Apparently Asylum was where the Stone Age hooked up with the 80’s for an acid-fuelled apocalypse party. After the peace and serenity of Clarius, it was a shock to your system.

 

Loki tightly grabbed your elbow and tugged you around the corner again.

 

“Follow this street until you see the recruitment base, you won’t miss it.” He said, refusing to meet your eyes.

 

“Ok.”

 

“Remember what you have to do Kitten. You’ll need to battle another recruit to gain a place in the army, from there you need to impress them enough to work your way up the ranks until you find yourself close to Glahn-Betn. I won’t be able to help you or advise you. You’ll have to use your own judgement.”

 

“Fate of the universe depends on me using my brain… We’re all doomed.” You joked.

 

“No we aren’t.” He snapped.

 

Apparently he wasn’t in a joking mood.

 

“I know what to do Mischief. I’ve got this.” You said with as much bravado as you could muster.

 

You knew the plan, you knew what was required of you, all that was left was to see if you could pull it off. You took a step backwards, towards the alleyway and lighting fast, he grabbed you, pulling you back into the alcove and his hand closed around your wrist. You wanted to get on with it, to walk into the lions den before your nerve failed you. But in an ironic twist of events, Loki was the one in need of comfort and reassurance.

 

“I’ll be alright Mischief. I’ve got this.” You promised, twisting your wrist out of his grasp and sliding your fingertips along his arm softly, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly.

 

He exhaled forcefully and nodded stiffly at you.

 

“I’ll be close by, as close as I can be without risking running into anyone who may know me but I will be disguised. Do not remove your braid for any reason, promise me.” He demanded.

 

“I promise.” You said firmly.

 

“If you do… our connection will be lost. I will have no choice but to assume you are dead.” He warned.

 

And he’d flee Asylum was what was left unsaid at the end of that sentence.

 

You bit your tongue. His eyes were flashing dangerously, almost overflowing with emotion and you knew that he wasn’t refusing because he wouldn’t do it, he was refusing because he didn’t want to entertain the idea of you failing.

 

“See you on the other side. When the chaos starts, we meet back here.” You said with a note of finality, stepping away from him.

 

Your heart was clenching painfully and the steady, overpowering thrum of your nerves were making you dizzy. A few more steps and you would be separated from him and even if you succeeded in your assassination there was a high chance you weren’t going to survive. This was likely a suicide mission, which meant that unless you were very lucky, this may be the last time you ever saw Loki. He had your goodbye letters for your family but you hadn’t said goodbye to him. You hadn’t said what needed to be said.

 

Three words. Just three little words. You could say them and then leave with a clear conscience. You wouldn’t even have to wait around to find out if he would say them back, you didn’t need to take that chance. You could tell him what you so desperately wanted him to know.

 

_I know you could never love me back, I know that you don’t need the affirmation from a mortal but I love you. I love you so much it’s consuming me._

“Mischief I…” You began.

 

“Don’t.” He interrupted, snapping out the word angrily.

 

“You will not say farewell to me Kitten, do not dare. Leave me as if you intend to return to me.” He demanded.

 

He lowered his head until his forehead was pressed against yours and let out a shuddering breath.

 

“Return to me.” He said, a plead and not a demand this time.

 

For the first time you felt something like hope building inside you. His torn apart emotional state was so out of character for him that it was making you wonder, was all this fear and concern really just for a friends safety? Or was it possible he felt something more for you?

 

“I will always return to you Mischief. Nothing could keep me away.” You swore.

 

His grip on you tightened almost painfully before it gradually loosened and he stepped back. You nodded once, more to yourself than him and made to walk away.

 

“Aren’t you forgetting something Kitten?” He asked.

 

He looked at you blankly, his expression giving no hint as to what he was alluding to but somehow you just knew what he was asking for and it made you smile.

 

Balancing on your tiptoes you reached towards him and the corners of his lips twitched as he leant down for you. At the last second you moved your head and the kiss you’d been about to place on his cheek landed purposefully on the corner of his mouth instead.

 

“I’ll see you soon Mischief.” You breathed into his skin.

 

You stepped away, walking backwards so you could hold his gaze. His eyes were dark with emotion as he stared after you, slack-jawed at your actions and with one last wave, you left the alleyway, stepping onto the street and you couldn’t see him anymore.

 

You exhaled forcefully, your emotions spilling from you in a gust of breath as you turned around and started walking.

 

The last time you’d been alone you had still been a regular human, wandering the world without a cause, living town to town. Now you were a superhero, with a family, with so much love in your heart that you could barely contain it. This was your first solo mission, the first time you didn’t have Bucky watching you through the scope of a rifle or Sam flying overhead. You didn’t have Steve stood beside you, shield in hand. You didn’t have Loki or his tricks keeping you safe.

 

You were alone again, but this time you were on an Alien planet with the fate of billions resting on your shoulders. But you weren’t alone, not really. You had Loki in the shadows and The Avengers in your heart and unconsciously touching the braid in your hair, you realized you’d never felt stronger.

 

You kept your eyes ahead, not wanting to look like an obvious tourist but even still, there was a lot to look at. While shopping wasn’t on the agenda, it was hard to resist peering into the stores you passed. Half of them looked like mystical apothecaries, and you were convinced you’d just walked past a blacksmith’s but there were a lot of strangely modern looking stores as well. You did a double take at what for all intents and purposes could essentially have been a Hot Topic, the alien edition.

  
There were Taverns and chic bars, a nightclub that you were itching to see the interior of, café’s and restaurants.

 

It was a mind-bending blend of several Earth era’s and distinctly alien. When Loki had told you the whole planet was an Asylum like it had been named, you’d expected a neat, clinical, cold, militaristic atmosphere. This was the polar opposite and despite how jarring it was, it was kind of awesome in a Las Vegas way.  

 

Not all of it nice. Not all of it was fantastical and wonderful. You steadfastly ignored everyone trying to engage with you but you were fairly certain that you knew exactly what was being offered when a thin, seven foot tall, green humanoid sidled up to you and asked…

 

“Need a fix, you look like a being that needs a little fix.? I didn’t take mine, wanna make a deal?”

 

You’d sidestepped him and kept walking but it left a chill in your blood. If this was an Asylum, a hospital, then where were the attendants? The Nurses? The Doctors? Who was looking after these people?

 

Now that your attention had been drawn to it, you could see it everywhere. These creatures were sick. Blanks stares, nervous ticks, frenzied pacing, wailing and crying, agitated aggression… You could see people exhibiting signs everywhere you looked.  Once again you felt a surge of anger for Glahn-Betn. This planet was supposed to be a refuge for these people, a safe place. He had taken that from them, he had brought chaos to a planet that really couldn’t handle it.

 

You quickened your pace. The sooner you got to the recruitment base, the sooner you could get on with your mission and carve that bastards chest open, just to see if he had a heart.

 

Like Loki had promised, you couldn’t miss the base. You reached the end of the long street and there was a crossroads. Ahead, more of what lay behind you, to the right, the same. But to the left, down a winding hill, there was a fortress.

 

At first glance you thought it was just a black mountain but your eyes adjusted and you could see it was man made, a collection of spires and towers carved from shiny black rock and surrounded by a moat. If this was an Asylum planet, that must be the maximum security ward. Before Glahn-Betn it must have housed the criminally insane and now it housed… the criminally insane. It took nearly twenty minutes to reach it, your heart picking up it’s pace as you drew closer and slipped into the crowds of people heading in the same direction.

 

You had just stepped onto the black stone bridge over the moat when the sky rumbled above you and you looked up to see a humungous spacecraft descending towards the fortress.

 

“Look, more conquests. Hope we get to fight one of the captives. Doubt they have much fight left in them.” An alien behind you sniggered.

 

As the craft slowed down it’s flight and neatly hovered behind the fortress, landing behind it, you tried to decipher what the alien had just said.

 

 _Conquests and captives_. Glahn-Betn was waging war and forcing prisoners to fight for him. How many planets had already fallen to this tyrant? Why was nobody doing anything?

 

You’d thought this was a madman attempting a sinister plot but it went far deeper than that. This was already full scale intergalactic terrorism. Even if you killed Glahn-Betn and put a stop to his plans, he had already done so much damage that couldn’t be undone. Not for the first time you started to think that you were in way over your head. How could you, one woman, bring down an entire regime?

 

_Because nobody would expect one woman to be stupid enough to try._

 

And this wasn’t your plan, it was Loki’s. Even if you were starting to doubt yourself, you didn’t doubt him. You had the blood of the greatest soldier of all time in your veins. You had been trained by literal gods, infamous assassins and the greatest minds your world had to offer.

 

So you squared your shoulders, put on your metaphorical big girl panties and walked through the wide doors into the base.  

 

The cavernous hall was bustling with activity. It was teeming with crowds of hopeful recruits, nervous recruits and guards. Ignoring them all you strode purposefully to the far side of the hall, to the lines of recruits being admitted through the doors into the heart of the fortress.

 

You chose a longish line so you had time to study the admittance procedure. There were dozens of platforms raised slightly off the ground that were surrounded by a shimmering golden sphere, a force field of sorts. Every platform was manned by two guards apiece and, tall, statuesque, intimidating blue aliens with futuristic monitors in their hands. One by one the recruits stepped onto the platforms and had a short conversation with what you’d guessed were the recruitment officers. The platform you were in line for was manned by a beautiful blue woman with a stiff posture and eye catching black splotches on her skin.

 

As you got closer you could hear what she was saying and as you watched carefully, a man who could easily have been human stepped onto the platform.

 

“Why do you want to join the Commander of War’s mighty army?” She asked robotically.

 

The man looked around desperately, his jaw clenched. The woman leaned forward with a hard gaze, as if she was finally interested.

 

 _“Why do you want to join the Commander of War’s mighty army?”_ She asked again, harshly.

 

“Reconnaissance for the Nova Corps.” He spat out, looking terrified when he realized what he’d said.

 

He made a run for it but he didn’t even get one step away before he was shot, his body thumping to the ground. Someone grabbed him by the ankle and dragged him out of the sphere while the woman ignored it, looking at the next recruit in line who stepped into the sphere without care.

 

You subtly studied the sphere and put the pieces together in your mind. It was some kind of truth field, it must be. Which meant that nobody could lie when they joined the army, you couldn’t lie.

 

_Shit._

 

You ground your teeth as the line moved forwards, mentally trying to solve this puzzle before you were called into the sphere. All to soon, you were at the front of the line and as a hulking creature was waved to the other side, having passed the recruitment questions, you had no choice but to calmly step onto the platform. The field caused no sensation as you walked through it and if you couldn’t see it, you wouldn’t have known it was there. The woman looked at you with cold disinterest as you stepped up in front of her.

 

“Why do you want to join the Commander of War’s mighty army?”

 

“I’m here to work my way up the ranks of the army, to prove myself, so I can make my father proud.” You said smoothly.

 

“Name?”

 

“They call me Kit.” You said.

 

Well it was true, some people did on occasion call you Kit.

 

“What planet are you from?”

 

“Clarius.”

 

You _had_ just come from there.

 

“Race?”

 

“I’m the result of an experiment.” You said quickly, thinking fast on your feet and stretching the truth as far as you could without breaking it.

 

She didn’t blanche, just swiped something on the monitor.

 

“Give me your wrist.” She said, holding her hand out impatiently.

 

She snapped a black band onto your wrist and after a moment it flickered orange.

 

“We do not provide weapons to recruits, if you did not bring your own, tough.”

 

“I brought my own.” You assured her.

 

“Through the doors, find the corridor that corresponds to your band. If you observe any rituals or pray to any deities or gods then do so now, you’ll be dead by the end of the day.” She said dismissively.

 

You’d just stepped outside of the truth field but at her words you stopped and stepped backwards, back into the sphere.

 

“No, I won’t.” You said confidently, looking her in the eye.

 

You walked away, allowing yourself a quick triumphant grin. You’d done it, you were in. Now the hard part began.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the last chapter was a bit of a filler chapter that was there to point the plot in the right direction but I hope this makes up for it and I really hope you enjoy this chapter. 
> 
> We're in the thick of it now, Kitten's got some trying times ahead of her. Wish her luck! (And wish me good luck in writing it!)


	15. The Pits Of Hell

You were packed into a small holding area with dozens of aliens and shockingly, you weren’t having fun. On paper it sounded like you should be excited about it but since you were about to either die and fail everybody you cared about or survive and become a cold-blooded murderer, you weren’t even remotely interested in trying to get to know any of the beings you were trapped in close quarters with. Until a very human looking man caught your eye from across the room and after appraising you for a moment, stood up and made his way over to you.

 

“You look lost little one.” He said in a deep, gentle voice.

 

He was older, but not old, and muscled but not huge and he stood calmly beside you, glancing at you with a curious expression.

 

“No, I’m where I need to be.” You said dismissively.

 

He gave you a look that said he clearly didn’t believe you. When you turned away from him, trying to be blatant about your lack of desire for communication he chuckled at you.

 

“Welcome to team Orange.” He said, laughter still lacing his tone.

 

“Beg your pardon?” You asked, befuddled.

 

“There’s three groups of new recruits. Red are the weak looking ones, or the prisoners. Green are the big bastards, dangerous looking types, or the criminally insane ones. Us Oranges are in the middle, one’s they don’t know how to judge until they see them in action. Orange is the best place to be. If you’re green you’ve got to face another green in the pits. If you’re red, well you might end up fighting some poor sod who doesn’t want to fight.” He elaborated.

 

Maybe he would turn out to be useful for information gathering.

 

“So we’re in the happy middle.” You summarised.

 

He nodded in agreement and then tapped his fist gently against the centre of his chest.

 

“I’m Gunerrork.” He introduced himself.

 

“Kit.” You said, trying to mimic his greeting.

 

“Well met, Kit.” He nodded in approval of your attempt and grinned.

 

“So you don’t know how things are in here, let me guess, you heard about the army and came seeking blood and glory?” He asked.

 

“I’ll take the blood, keep the glory.” You told him.

 

“Oh ho, is that how it is?” He laughed again and you resisted the urge to roll your eyes.

 

“Why are you here _Gun_?” You shot back at him.

 

“My planets not far from here. Those of us who had any skill banded together and volunteered for this army in the hopes that Glahn-Betn would leave our world in peace if he had nothing to gain by taking it.” He explained.

 

That threw you for a loop. Maybe you had forced yourself not too, but you hadn’t even entertained the possibility that anybody would be here for noble reasons.

 

“You sacrificed yourself.” You whispered in awe and sorrow.

 

“Aye, but if there’s even a chance my sacrifice will keep my family safe then I don’t mind.” He shrugged, the sadness in his eyes betraying his feigned nonchalance.

 

“You have a family?” You enquired gently.

 

“My bondmate and I have three children. Two twin boys, still infants and a girl. She’s only a bit younger than you.” He said wistfully.

 

His shoulders sunk and you could see the physical toll being away from his family was having on him.

 

“I… My father was a soldier. On my homeworld he’s known as the greatest soldier there ever was. I can’t go home to my family without making him proud. That’s why I’m here.” You opened up.

 

You knew it was unwise to give away personal information or form any sort of bond, but for some reason you needed him to know you weren’t a bloodthirsty brute. So you told him a little bit of the truth. He was startled, you could tell and his demeanour changed, he softened towards you. Until the doors opened and two soldiers marched in and started randomly calling recruits over.

 

“Don’t look at me, don’t talk to me.” Gun whispered fearfully.

 

You looked straight ahead as if he hadn’t spoken. The guards shepherded a group of recruits out of the room and Gun turned back to you with an apologetic look.

 

“If the Kree see us talking or being friendly, they’ll make us fight each other in the pits. It amuses them.” He explained.

 

“Which is why you came over to talk to me in the first place.” You said with a hint of amusement.

 

He looked ashamed.

 

“I get it. I’m one of the smaller ones, physically unimposing, not from your world and here by choice. I understand. There’s something I don’t understand about all this though. Why kill off half of the recruits? How does that make any sense?” You asked, trying to wheedle as much information out of him as he had to give.

 

“Sport. They weed out the strongest and some among those go to the arena. When greens make it through the pits they are given the choice of cavalry or honours. Those who choose cavalry go into the ground forces and cadets. Those who choose honours go to the arena.” He said with more than a hint of disgust.

 

“I think you know what my next question is going to be.” You sighed.

 

“The arena is a spectators event. The generals investors come to watch the fights, and bet on them. The champions are given high-ranking commands, how high depends on how much they impress General Glahn-Betn. And the investors and allies will sponsor champions, paying for their upkeep within the army.” He explained.

 

It had bothered you for a while, the ritual of having recruits kill each other for a place in the army. But wars weren’t waged or won by just soldiers, they needed funding. In a very sick, twisted and evil way, you could see the genius behind the plan now. Glahn-Betn had turned war into a profitable sport.

 

You were certain of two things. Glahn-Betn was going to suffer before he died and you needed to get into the arena so you could put on one hell of a show.

 

“Nervous?” Gun asked lightly.

 

“Impatient.” You corrected.

 

“Eager for that blood?” He said, managing to sound disappointed and amused at the same time.

 

“I don’t like waiting around for a fight when I know one’s coming, I’d rather get it over with.” You told him, only slightly defensively.

 

“I don’t know your story Kit, I’m in no position to judge you.” He sighed.

 

“But you came here hoping to spare your people, and I’m here to fight and kill.” You pointed out.

 

“I must admit, I like your bravado. You just know you’re going to win.” He chortled.

 

“Losing isn’t an option, I _need_ to win.” You said heavily.

 

He looked at you strangely, noticing your tone didn’t quite match up with your words but before he could question it the doors opened again. He stepped away quickly and you stepped forwards, trying to draw attention to yourself without seeming like you’d done it on purpose.

 

“You.” A guard that thanks to Gun you now knew was definitely a Kree called, pointing at you.

 

You wordlessly joined the rest of the chosen recruits and were dismayed to see Gun was also chosen. It was put out of your mind as you stepped out of the holding room and walked down a narrow corridor. You could hear the din of fighting, yelling and chaos. It was the smell that got to you though, the stench of blood and death getting stronger the closer you got. You all filed out of the corridor and into a cavernous, square arena.

 

You realized why Gun had been calling them the pits. There were hundreds of rectangular holes in the floor, 8ft deep. You watched as recruits were unceremoniously shoved into them in pairs and only one emerged. The dead were plucked out by large mechanical claws and dumped down a hole in the very centre of the room, like a macabre arcade game. When you got close enough to one you peered in and saw the bottom was lined with sand and you knew it was there to soak up the blood.

 

On two opposite sides of the room there were dozens of sets of stairs and judging by the sounds you could hear from the platforms above, there were more fighting pits.  

 

You could taste the bile in the back of your throat and swallowed it down. You started to wonder why Loki hadn’t warned you but there’s no way he would send you here unprepared, which meant he didn’t know. He had never been to this place, not this part of it anyway. That was good, he would be even more worried if he knew how twisted it really was down here.

 

Hell, this was hell.

 

Someone nudged you and you glanced up at Gun who was looking down at you with pity and concern. The horror must have been clear on your face and steeling yourself, you fixed a blank look on your face, letting your eyes go cold.

 

“You and…. You.” A Kree manning one of the pits yelled, pointing out you and a slender green alien out to the guards.

 

You launched forwards into a stride before anyone got any bright ideas about shoving you into the pit and stepped off the edge, landing nimbly on the sand. You opponent landed with a thump on his knees but quickly stood up, assessing you with a calculating gaze.

 

“You’ll do. This will be easy.” He sneered.

 

Familiarity prickled at your mind and you swore you recognized his voice from somewhere. It was the slimy chuckle the made it click into place for you. He’d been behind you on the bridge, he was the one who had callously mocked the arrival of a ship of prisoners and hoped he would be faced with one of them. He’d wanted to face someone who didn’t have much fight in them.

 

He was in for a bitter disappointment.

 

“Begin.” The Kree shouted down into the pit and you looked up at the sound of his voice.

 

Your opponent had no compunctions about attacking your unprotected back and you heard his footsteps as he rushed you. Calmly, quickly and with deadly accuracy, you unsheathed Mischief from it’s spinal sheath and jabbed it under your arm, sending the blade into the fleshy torso of your attacker. Swiftly pulling it out, you spun around on your heel and thrust  the pointed tip under his jaw, killing him almost instantly. His corpse hit the sand with a pathetic thud and you cleaned the trickle of blood off your blade by wiping it on his on his back before you re-sheathed Mischief and calmly looked back up at the Kree.

 

“Well one of you was labelled wrong, but should he have been a red or should you have been a green?” He drawled as the mechanical claw removed your victim from the pit.

 

You shrugged and held up your hands in the universal symbol of ‘I dunno’. He narrowed his eyes and stared you down with a calculating gaze for a few moments before he made a decision.

 

“Give me a green.” He yelled up the stairs to the other pit. 

 

A grey hulking mass of pure muscle on two legs thundered down after a few short seconds.

 

“Jesus Christ.” You muttered under your breath.

 

This man/woman or other was huge. Not as big as the Hulk but it dwarfed the likes of Thor and Bucky. And it was agile too because it easily leapt into the pit, making the ground beneath your feet shake when it landed steadily on its feet. Beady red eyes assessed you and deemed you easy prey, judging by the sneer on its face that revealed two rows of razor sharp teeth. In close quarters you could see that it’s skin was shiny, like it was wet, and it was smooth, like it was made of some sort of blubber rather than skin.

 

“It’s a fucking land shark.” You groaned under your breath.

 

Turns out that meeting new alien species wasn’t as exciting when you had to fight them. Killing really took all the fun out of things.

 

“Begin.” The Kree called and your opponent began circling you, a low rumbling vibrating from his chest.

 

You stayed perfectly still, waiting. When the air behind you shifted you instinctively leaned to the left, dodging the sharp claws that had grabbed at you.

 

“Slippery.” It snarled at you in a spine chilling, guttural voice.

 

You didn’t answer. You wanted to say something sarcastic or biting but you were trying to give off the impression that you could serve as a loyal, mindless drone. Instead you focused all your attention on the creature circling you. Your last opponent was a coward and bully, this one was a ginormous, lethally fast killing machine. You needed your wits about you.

 

Again you felt the air shift behind you and made a split second decision. If the thing was smart, it would know you were going to dodge. You hedged your bet on it being smart and instead of dodging, you stayed perfectly still.

 

It had expected you to lean to the side and thrust it’s claws out to either side but because you hadn’t moved, you were stood between it’s outstretched arms and you used the fleeting moment of confusion it had to grab a hold of one of it’s arms and used it as leverage to hoist yourself into the air, kicking your legs behind you and twisting yourself onto it’s hulking shoulders.

 

Drawing a dagger you sliced it across the things throat.

 

And it didn’t even flinch.

 

It didn’t even bleed.

 

The dagger sliced through it’s flesh like jelly, the wound closing up as quickly as It had been made. Which left you perplexed and vulnerable as it sunk its clawed hand into your thigh and ripped you off of it, bodily throwing you into the wall. The impact of your body cracked the stone and you crumbled to the floor, a winded, bruised mess. You wheezed loudly and a painful cough erupted from your chest as your body desperately sought to replace the oxygen that had been so rudely slammed out of it.

 

Movement above you caught your eye and you realized Gun was stood at the edge of the pit amongst some onlookers and trying to get your attention. Looking around to make sure nobody was watching him he slowly and deliberately tapped his knee. You dragged in a heaving breath and slyly slid a dagger from its sheath on your belt. When the creature brought its claws down on you, you dodged under them and pushed the blade into the side of its knee. Its subsequent roar of pain was deafening. Confident that Gun had pointed you in the right direction you twisted the knife, grasping the handle tightly as inky blood gushed from the wound.

 

The knees really were a weak spot because it’s leg buckled, unable to support its weight anymore. Unfortunately, that brought the gnashing teeth closer to your face and you had to throw yourself backwards onto the sand to avoid having your face bitten off. It followed you, using its arms to drag its body towards you as you crab crawled away. Disabling its leg had slowed it down, but it wasn’t enough to kill it. You couldn’t stab or slash it to death.

 

You could only think of one other viable option, but it wasn’t going to be pretty. You pulled your knee up to your chest, letting the creature crawl closer before you used every ounce of lower body strength to kick it in the head. You sent it sailing to the other side of the pit, landing on it’s back and while it shook it’s head and tried to clear it you leapt to your feet and ran across the pit, running past the creature and halfway up the wall before you bent your knees and pushed off from it, spinning in mid-air and raising your fist. The creature was just starting to stand and looked up in time for you to slam your fist into it’s face, knocking it back into the dirt.

 

It groaned and blinked blearily at you.

 

Which meant that it’s brain was housed in it’s skull. Once again you slid Mischief from it’s sheath and released the blade. Planting your foot on the creatures chest you pinned it to the ground and with careful, surgical precision, stabbed it in the eye. The blade went straight through, piercing the brain behind.

 

A brief moment that seemed to last forever passed and the green band on its wrist flickered out and then the orange band on your wrist flickered off before it lit up again, a bright shining green.

 

“Cavalry or Honours?” The Kree asked excitedly as you parkoured your way out of the pit.

 

“Honours.” You announced.

 

You caught Gun’s eye and he looked relieved as you mouthed a silent ‘thank-you’ at him before you turned back to the Kree.

 

“Excellent. Welcome to The Commander of Wars Mighty Army. Tonight, you fight in The Arena.”

 

~~~

 

Pacing was all Loki could do as another bout of crippling anxiety washed over him. It had been hours since you bestowed your teasing kiss, so close to his lips. It had been lucky that he had been struck dumb by the feel of your lips so close to his own or he would have thrown caution to the wind and captured you in his arms and kissed you properly. It would have been a mistake for so many reasons, none of them he had been concerned with when he regained control of his limbs and strode after you, only to realize it was too late. You had already joined the crowds on the streets and set an unwavering pace towards the towering hive of the army.

 

He paced around the small room he had commandeered in the city, as close to you as he could be without risking being found. Had you already fought for your place? Were you even now lumped in with masses of thugs and murderers, proving to them that you were far more dangerous than they could ever dream of being? He wished he could see it, the shock on their faces as they realized who they were in the company of. He wanted to bask in their nervousness and fear when they saw you fight, when they saw a true warrior.

 

He could picture it, the awe they would exhibit as one by one they realized how insignificant and pathetic they were in comparison. He would have to enjoy it for you because you would never take pleasure in something like that.

 

If he could survive the next few hours he wouldn’t have to use his imagination. As long as he was careful with his illusion, he could go to the arena and see it for himself. He would stick to the crowds and watch you fight, he would revel in the crowds enthusiasm and admiration for your skill. He dared not leave Asylum while you were stranded on it and so with nothing else to do to pass the time he sat down to revise his plans for when the chaos began. As soon as Glahn-Betn died he would need to get to you as quickly as possible so he could whisk you away to safety.

 

As he sat down, his ears picked up on a faint crinkling sound. Cocking his head in curiosity he moved again and realised it was coming from him. More specifically, his pocket. Reaching inside, he pulled out two rolled up sheets of parchment. One had Thor’s name inked on it, and the other simply said ‘dad’. They hadn’t been there this morning which meant that sometime between leaving Clarius and your departure from him, you had slipped them into his pocket unnoticed.

 

He scoffed out loud at your audacity. He was the god of mischief, not the god of _correspondence_. If you wanted to send letters you should have sent them yourself.

 

But you would have delivered them yourself if you could. These were entrusted to him in case you could not do it, in case you weren’t around to do it.

 

He understood why you would write to your father, it was so typically loyal and loving of you that he wasn’t even remotely surprised. But what could you possibly need to say to Thor?

 

He didn’t hesitate as he unrolled the parchment. If you were writing to his brother and not any of your other team-mates, it was obviously about him which gave him the right to read it. Not that he cared about whether he had the right or not.

 

_Dear Thor,_

_You used to tell me about your brother and how much you missed him, even after you learned he was still alive. You said that whoever he had become, he wasn’t your bother, he wasn’t your Loki. But you also said that you believed your brother was still in there somewhere. I didn’t know him before, so I can’t really say if he’s changed or he’s the Loki you once knew and loved. I can tell you about the man I know, I can tell you about my Loki, my Mischief._

_One of the first things he did after I saw you last was cast a spell on me. He enchanted me with Allspeak so I could talk to everyone I met and he did it because I told him I was worried about offending someone. It was a gift, a kindness and one that I have benefited from so much. Then he trusted me, asked me to watch his back and Thor, I betrayed him. I tricked him, I stole the Tesseract from him and tried to leave him stranded. I started a fight with him and we battled and even though he knew I could heal it, he barely injured me. Not because I was stronger or fought better, but because he held back even though I had just screwed him over. When I realized what I had done and how wrong of me it was I apologized, I gave him my trust and he tried to send me away for it. I’m not saying Loki wasn’t every bit as devious and dangerous as you had warned, I’m saying that he knew what he was and when he found out he had my trust he tried to send me away so he never had the chance to break it._

_He hadn’t even know me for a full day before he nearly got himself killed trying to protect me. I refused to be left behind and followed him somewhere dangerous. It’s a long story but he saved me instead of himself, he left the Tesseract in my care so I could get home if he died. He passed up the opportunity to obtain a powerful elixir just because I asked him. He stabbed me repeatedly because he knew I would heal, but I wouldn’t heal from what I am about to face as I write this. He made me stronger. He does things for no other purpose than to see me smile, he goes out of his way to make me laugh. That is the Loki I know and in the short time I have had with him, he’s already changed so much. I now understand the level of devotion you have for him and why you are willing to forgive so many of his transgressions. The Loki I know is deserving of forgiveness. I could write pages and pages about all the things he’s done for me, the things I’ve witnessed in him._

_You said you never got to tell him a lot of things, you never got to comfort him about discoveries he’d made about who he was. It’s not too late Thor. It probably won’t be easy but he deserves it, he deserves to be loved. Please love him Thor, make sure he knows how cherished he is. If I fail and I die, I need to know that he will be alright. If Glahn-Betn kills me, then this is my dying wish…_

_Help him forgive himself. I have my doubts about certain events but I don’t care if I’m wrong and Loki really was a tyrannical bastard at one point, I just don’t care. That’s not who he is now and he regrets it. So forgive him, help him forgive himself, love him. Because the Loki I know, my Loki, my Mischief, is kind and filled with light and hope, even if he doesn’t know it._

_P.S – I know you read this Mischief, I know you’re calling me a sentimental fool but you’re going to suck it up and  deliver this anyway or I’ll haunt your ass until you do._

 

He wasn’t sure what was making him angrier, the fact you’d actively prepared for your own death or that you had cared enough to try and help him if you were to die. It was no surprise you would write a letter like this to Thor though, you were both sentimen… You were both nauseatingly emotional idiots. He hated that you had dared to plead for love and forgiveness on his behalf, he hated how weak it made him feel. Most of all he hated himself though, for the ridiculous fluttering in his chest your letter had caused. He hated that your words held such weight and he absolutely despised that they had awoken a flicker of hope for a day when he could stand side by side with his brother again.

 

But he would be damned before he would hand over a letter asking his brother to embrace him with open arms. You would survive and there would be no need to deliver the accursed thing at all and that would be the end of it. But he still carefully rolled it up again and placed it alongside the other letter, the one he respected you enough to leave unread.

 

He soothed his rage by allowing the sense of your presence to wash over him. His Seiðr was trying to tug him towards the base, so he knew that you were alive and well. You would remain that way and soon enough you would come back to him. He need only be patient and then he would have you back, where you were safe.

 

And tonight, he would see you again, even if you wouldn’t see him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Too exhausted to think of a witty and non-needy sounding way to say, please let me know what you thought about this chapter? 
> 
> The further into the plot we go, the more nervous I get about whether people are enjoying reading it. 
> 
> And hello to our newest character, Gun! Have you noticed that Kitten just keeps collecting fatherly figures on different planets?
> 
> AND I JUST PASSED 50K WORDS ON THIS FIC! BOOM BABY!


	16. Gladiator

There was a thin stripe of purple through the green of your band, signalling you were set for the Arena. It was what allowed you wander around the Green’s pits without being shoved into one yourself. You’d already explored the living quarters, small windowless rooms that held two beds each and been to a heaving, foul-smelling canteen where had been served some kind of vile, vaguely fish like pule of mulch.

 

“Why are you here?” A Kree asked you with a frown, studying your band.

 

“The survivors here will be my competition in the arena, and my fellow soldiers in the wars to come. I’m here to assess them.” You said, standing up straight in what you hoped was a show of respect.

 

“Tactical thinking, well done.” He praised.

 

You bowed your head deferentially and he wandered away. Ignoring the rotten feeling it had given you, you walked around the pits, taking note of the fighting techniques. Mostly though, you were watching the different races and how they died or got hurt. Your lack of knowledge about your last opponent would have probably gotten you killed if it weren’t for Gun and you needed to be better prepared next time.

 

“Runner!” Someone yelled.

 

You turned around in the direction the shout had come from and watched as a green skinned humanoid reached the top of the stairs, looking around wildly with frantic desperation. There was a glowing red band on his wrist.

 

“Wonder if they’ll kill it or make an example of it?” Someone muttered behind you.

 

Judging by the way the guards holstered their guns and pulled out thin metal rods that you could hear the electricity crackling off of, you were betting that they weren’t just  going to kill the attempted escapee. If they were willing to throw their soldiers into pits and make them kill each other, what would they be willing to do to someone who crossed them? The runner sprinted forwards, into the crowds of Green’s. turning in all directions until he saw a path that didn’t have any guards.

 

But he wasn’t thinking straight. That direction would put him up against the wall. If there even was a way to escape from this place, that wasn’t it.

 

Every cell in your body was screaming at you to help him, to grab him and push him behind you while you fended off the guards. Your instincts were telling you to save him, that you _needed_ to save him.

 

But a voice in your head that sounded more like Loki than you these days was telling you he was going to die no matter what you did, and unless you did something drastic, he was going to die slowly and painfully.

 

A voice that sounded like Natasha reminded you that even if you couldn’t save this individual, you could save thousands more like him.

 

A voice that was unmistakably Steve’s told you that you would never forgive yourself for what you were about to do.

 

The dagger you’d pulled from your belt sailed through the air and landed firmly in the back of the runners head, piercing under his skull and killing him instantly. As his body thumped onto the floor, all eyes turned to you.

 

Outwardly, you maintained a cold demeanour but on the inside you were falling apart. You’d just murdered someone in cold blood. He hadn’t been your opponent, he hadn’t even been armed. You’d killed him.

 

_You couldn’t have saved his life, there was no way you could have saved him. You spared him a painful death._

_You didn’t do it to spare him, you did it to further your cause. This wasn’t mercy, it was a calculated act of deception. You sacrificed him for your own gain._

 

The Kree who had addressed you earlier pulled the dagger from the corpses skull and studied it as he walked back over to you. Then deliberately, he held it out to you with a nod of approval.

 

“Kit? Just Kit?” He asked, glancing between your band and the screen in his hand.

 

“Yes Sir.” You affirmed.

 

“Disloyalty is severely punished here, but loyalty is appreciated. And noticed.” He crooned.

 

You took the dagger from him and felt a part of your soul die.

 

“I’m Private Ra-Thrall. I’ll be keeping an eye one you… Kit.” He mused with an intrigued stare.

 

“Thank you Sir.”

 

You had achieved what you needed to achieve, but at what cost?

 

 ~~~

 

The space around Earth was still void of any threats, and there had been no more signs from you.

 

There were militaries all around the world standing at the ready for that to change, thanks to Rhodey, Sam and Bucky’s efforts. The Inhumans had all been warned and some of them had broken the Accords by scattering and going into hiding while others had turned up at military bases, UN offices or the Avengers Tower itself and declared they were ready to fight. The whole world was on edge, waiting for a war.

 

And yet nothing was happening.

 

“Captain Rogers you have the entire planet on alert, for what? A rushed warning from a woman who by your own admittance is working with Loki? Do you have any idea the scale of the mess you’ve made? And I’m here for you to tell me that we need to pardon the Inhumans who have broken the Accords?”

 

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. They were warned that an alien race might be coming for them, can you blame them for hiding? If you want them to re-appear when this is over I highly recommend you assure them there will be no sanctions or punishment when they do.” Steve said stiffly.

 

“And what about the ones that don’t re-appear?”

 

“I would rather have to track down a few rouge Inhumans than watch them be killed. My job, my purpose is to protect people. I’ll do that by any means necessary.” He reminded Ross.

 

“Do I need to remind you that you have not yet earned back the trust and respect you carelessly threw away when you went rouge?” Ross hissed.

 

“You pardoned us. You really want to take it back? Just because we’re trying to protect the planet?” Natasha cut in.

 

“If this is all for nothing…” Ross began.

 

“If this is all for nothing then we know our girl up there has stopped it and you can thank her when she gets back. Maybe just send a muffin basket though, I don’t think she’ll appreciate an in person visit.” Tony said with a disarmingly charming smirk.

 

“You’ve demanded a Global response team be at the ready and you have broken more protocols and laws than I can count by directly contacting every Inhuman on the index. If and when your ‘girl’ returns I will be paying her an in person visit and I’ll be bringing the full weight of the United Nations with me. We have a lot of questions for her.”

 

“Well we’ll call you when she gets home. Until then, do we agree that the Inhumans should not suffer for trying to keep themselves alive?” Sam asked.

 

“Before you answer that, think about what happens if we do have the fend off another attempted invasion. We’ll want the Inhumans fighting with us, we can’t afford to risk alienating them.” Steve warned.

 

“For now, we agree. But this is not indefinite.” Ross warned before he gave one last hateful glare at them and stormed out.

 

“Love that guy, it’s always so much fun when he comes to visit.” Tony said sarcastically.

 

“We only have a couple more days, three at best before people start questioning if there’s really a threat.” Rhodey sighed.

 

“If no intergalactic army turns up we’ll look like idiots but I’ll take that over having to fight.” Clint said.

 

“If the army does come, it means she failed.” Steve reminded them, snapping out the words.

 

It would mean you were dead.

 

“This would be easier if she would just come and get us, pick us up in her fancy new ride and take us to the fight.” Tony pointed out.

 

“And she would have done that, if we could have promised mercy for Loki. But we couldn’t so she threw her lot in with him and who can blame her? Who better to fend of an invasion that they guy who already tried once before.” Sam sighed.

 

“Ross does have a point. We are resting a lot on her word. Not that I don’t trust her but… are we sure we’re making the right moves here?” Natasha asked, looking at Steve.

 

“I trust her. So we need to be ready. And if this is all masterminded by Loki, don’t forget that we have a way to take him down now. We’re prepared for either option and any number of things in between.” Steve reminded her.

 

“Thanks to yours truly, and Gandalf the sassy.” Tony chimed in.  

 

“Speaking of, don’t you need to go?” Sam asked.

 

Steve nodded.

 

“Strange is expecting us. Wanda’s getting better at getting inside my head.” He said.  

 

“So we’re ready, for whatever comes next. All we can do now is sit around and wait and hope to hell that Kitten knows what she’s doing.” Sam said.

 

~~~

 

You were completely lost. Evening had fallen and someone had told you to get to the Arena and then walked away before you realised you had no idea how to get there. You’d followed a group of people with Green bands but managed to lose sight of them when they turned a corner and now you were just stood in a hallway like an imbecile.

 

“Little One?” Someone called out behind you.

 

“Gun?” You called back happily, walking quickly towards his familiar frame, pausing in surprise when you saw the green band on his wrist.

 

“You’re not the only one who’s moved up a colour.” He chortled.

 

“Congratulations?” You said as you fell into step beside him and let him guide you through the maze of a fortress.

 

“And to you little one. You fought well.” He praised.

 

“And yet I still would have lost, if not for you.” You reminded him.

 

“I think you may have still won, just not as quickly. You’re skilled, though you fight like someone of your size, not like someone of your strength.” He noted.

 

“Out of the one’s who trained me, one used to be a lot smaller than he is now and one is of a similar size to me.” You explained vaguely.

 

“No, no it’s good. Didn’t expect you to be that strong when I saw you fight. You keep switching styles as well. It’s hard to get a grasp on you or what you are going to do.”

 

“Jack of all trades, master of none.” You said quietly.

 

Gun cocked his head with a quizzical expression.

 

“It’s a saying in my world. It means it’s alright to be ok at lots of different things than amazing at just one.” You elaborated.

 

“What a strange saying but, a wise one.”

 

“Why are you fighting for honours Gun?” You asked, nodding at his band that was marked with the same line of blue yours was.

 

“I have my reasons.” He said cryptically.

 

“You don’t approve of the killing and the blood sport, so your reasons, whatever they are, are curious.” You said softly.

 

“Those who enter the Arena are not under duress. They are bloodthirsty, egotistical murderers. I feel no guilt in killing them.” He said.

 

“And everyone you kill in the Arena is one less warrior for the army?” You guessed.

 

He looked nervous and you knew you were right. He hadn’t come here with a plan like you had, but he was here to save his world and do as much damage as he could before he died.

 

He stopped at a large set of doors and pushed them open, waving you in front of him.

 

It was another holding area, a large circular room filled with people sharpening weapons and gearing themselves up to fight. There was a dark, ominous looking doorless hole on the opposite wall.

 

Ra-Thrall, the Kree who had taken notice of you earlier in the day spotted you and immediately made his way over.

 

“If you’re as skilled as I hope you are, you’ll do well here. Impress us and we’ll put you into the main arena.” He said enthusiastically, ignoring Gun.

 

You weren’t confused as to why he’d taken such a special interest in you, you’d done something awful to ensure he would. But he was thrumming with excitement and you wondered why he was so invested.

 

“Do well tonight and you will impress Glahn-Betn himself. I’ve marked you down as someone with potential, prove me right and we’ll both rise in rank.” He said with what he must have thought was a conspiratorial grin.

 

It made your skin crawl.

 

“I won’t let you down Sir.” You told him respectfully.

 

“Clegane is getting a lot of attention down here. I’m going to pit you against him. He’s an Epsiloni.”

 

Were you supposed to know what an Epsiloni was?

 

“Kill him and you’re certain to be given an enviable rank.” He instructed.

 

“Yes, Sir, Understood Sir.” You said.

 

His head bobbled up and down as he nodded excitedly and scarpered back to his post.

 

“Gun!” You hissed, tugging his sleeve.

 

“What’s an Epsiloni?” You asked when he looked at you.

 

He visibly paled.

 

“Epsiloni are parasites. They drain the life-force of their victims, becoming stronger and stronger. When I was a child, one landed on my home world. Just one. It took a bomb that destroyed an entire city to kill it.” He explained fearfully.  

 

“Oh.” You gulped.

 

“I doubt this one is as strong. They’re utterly ruthless and despise all organic life forms. If one is in this army, it isn’t here by choice. If it were strong enough it would have turned on it’s captors by now.” He tried to reassure you.

 

“Then why are they letting it get stronger?” You asked and Gun shrugged.

 

It didn’t sound like something you’d want in your army. The stronger it got, the more chance of it turning on you. So it was effectively useless because you wouldn’t be able to use it to it’s full potential.

 

Unless…

 

“It’s only here so they can find out who’s strong enough to kill it.” You whispered, horrified.

 

Which meant that every opponent it had already faced were the strongest and most promising, and they’d all failed. Their strength hadn’t been enough and all that power now belonged to the Epsiloni.

 

“I don’t suppose you have a bomb on you?” Gun asked, only partially joking.

 

“Only blades.” You groaned.

 

You were so screwed.

 

“Are they impervious to damage?” You asked.

 

“No, but it takes a lot of it to put them down.” He told you.

 

“Weak spots?” You asked hopefully.

 

“None that I know of.”  He said, shaking his head.

 

“How do they drain life-force?” You sighed.

 

“They leech it through prolonged skin contact.” He answered.

 

“I need a pair of gloves.” You said, looking down at your bare hands.

 

“I’ll see what I can do.” He responded, looking around before he slipped away.

 

Despite his noble intentions for being here, he was acting as an ally to you. As far as he was aware, you were one of the monsters he wanted to destroy and yet he couldn’t seem to bring himself to treat you like one. He was a good man, too good.

 

It wasn’t long before he came back over, subtly slipping a pair of leather gloves into your hand. You pulled them on, noting they weren’t a perfect fit but they would do.

 

“What did you do?” You sighed, nodding towards the empty sheath on his hip.

 

There had been a short sword in it a few moments ago.

 

“Made a trade.” He shrugged.

 

Aside from Mischief you had an array of daggers on you, and two of them on either side of your hip were longer ones. You unsheathed one and tossed it in the air, shaking your head at Gun and slipping it into his empty sheath. Like the gloves, it wasn’t a perfect fit, but it would do.

 

“Kit! Come.” Ra-Thrall yelled.

 

“Good luck little one.” Gun whispered.

 

“See you on the other side Gun.” You whispered back.

 

Ra-Thrall was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet he was that excited and he quickly ushered you into the tunnel.

 

“Don’t die.” He warned.

 

“I’ll try not to let you down Sir.” You promised.

 

“If you do as well as I hope, Glahn-Betn will be thrilled with me for spotting you. This could mean big things for me. You as well I suppose.” He muttered.

 

The tunnel was dark and practically vibrating. If this was anything like the gladiators pits of Ancient Rome then you guessed the crowd was above you. All too soon you came to the end and to a metal grate. Through it you could see a large circular arena surrounded by black stone walls.

 

“Kit of Clarius.” You heard someone yell from the inside and then the grate was rising.

 

You stepped onto the sands and took it all in. The blood stains on the sand, the cracks and dried blood on the stone walls, the thousands of spectators and on a podium some 30ft above the crowds…

 

Glahn-Betn.

 

It had to be him, there was no doubt about it. He was sat forward in his seat, resting his hulking forearms on his knees as he surveyed you. You both assessed each other from a distance and hatred spewed up inside you. This was the man responsible for the atrocities you had witnessed. All this injustice, pain and death, all of it could be laid at his feet. He had taken this planet and who knows how many others, he had ravaged them and taken anything he might have use for, without care for the devastation he was leaving in his wake. He would lay waste to your planet as well if he had the chance.

 

You wouldn’t let him have the chance. If it weren’t for the towering , curved stone wall, you would have already drove your blade into his chest and carved him up, even if it meant being slaughtered by the revenue of soldiers behind him.

 

His dark eyes were pulling you in and you break away from his gaze if you wanted to. He’d bespelled you and you could feel the rage and loathing growing inside you until your body just felt to small to contain it. Your rage felt like a living breathing entity inside you, moving under your skin.

 

Then he looked away, turning to say something to one of his companions and the spell was broken. The world swam back into focus and you wandered when you’d stopped hearing and seeing everything around you as the noises from the crowd drew your attention.

 

Apparently, they weren’t impressed with you.

 

“It’s a child.” Someone tittered and there was amused chuckles of agreement.

 

“1000 Lye on the _child_.” Someone announced confidentially, loudly.

 

“I’ll take your bet.” Someone roared back gleefully, but you ignored that one.

 

At the announcement you had looked up into the crowd, immediately spotting who had bet on you. The woman stood behind the stone barrier, gazing back at you. Her raven hair tumbled over her shoulders as she flipped it back and turned to her betting opponent and you knew who she was straight away. It would take more than blue skin and red eyes for you not to recognise Loki. You’d know that twinkle of mischief in her eyes anywhere.

 

When she looked at you again you winked at her, tapping your staff subtly and turning back to the arena as Clegane was announced and the grate on the other side of the sands ascended.

 

Clegane had the basic shape of a human but that’s where the comparison ended. He was pink and hairless, wearing nothing except a sleeveless one-piece jumpsuit that ended at the knees and showcased his long, flat, toeless feet. And when he snarled maliciously at you, you got an eyeful of the long sharp fangs.

 

Judging by the fact that your adversary’s kept being dentally blessed, the universe was really working overtime in an attempt to get you bitten.

 

He didn't even wait for anyone to tell him to begin, as soon as he stepped through gates he was rushing for you, his feet barely touched the sands and he leapt nimbly across them. You barely had enough time to lean back, away from his grasp.

 

His fingers had been millimetres away from you and you were literally bent over backwards to get away from him, so when his legs kicked yours out from under you, you flopped onto the ground uselessly.

 

It was only hours of sparring with Bucky ‘I’m gonna knock you on your ass’ Barnes that allowed you to use the momentum from your fall to roll onto your front and rise to your knees.

 

You reached back with one hand, grasping for Mischief while your other arm was busy grabbing onto Clegane’s left wrist to hold him back. His right hand slammed into the side of your face with inhuman strength and the second his skin made contact with yours you went from adrenaline fuelled, blood pumping battle ready to feeling like you were about to faint.

 

You managed to unsheathe Mischief and get the blade out, sliding it between his ribs. You felt the blade go in, you could feel the blood spurting from the wound and covering your gloved hand, dripping under your sleeve.

 

Clegane didn’t seem to notice or care, he just kept leeching the life out of you.

 

You let go of your beloved weapon, dropping it on the ground and grabbed both of his arms and pulled him into you as hard as you could, smashing your head into his face. You heard the sickening crunch of bone as you crushed his nose and felt the sharp sting as his fangs shredded through your flesh but it had been enough to knock his hand away from your face.

 

You’d never moved so fast in your life as you scrambled away from him, your severely depleted energy making you stumble into the wall. You held yourself upright and straight away, you felt your energy start to come back.

 

It was like any other injury, you could heal it. And because there was no physical wound, you could heal it fast. The crowd didn’t seem to be aware of that yet because you could hear the mocking laughter and them calling out for Clegane to finish you. Pushing away from the wall you turned around to face him again, standing tall.

 

He paused in confusion and you could feel the palpable curiosity coming from the crowd as you wiped the blood from your face and smirked. When they realized there was no wound they started cheering for you and Clegane sneered.

 

You ran at him, unsheathing a long dagger from your hip and throwing it ahead of you. It embedded itself into his chest and he ignored it like it was little more than a buzzing insect landing on him.

 

You knew that stabbing him would have no effect, that wasn’t why you had done it. You used it as a foothold as you leapt at him, planting your knee into his throat and wrapping your other leg around the back of his neck and used every ounce of your super strength to twist your body around while you squeezed his neck between your legs. His neck snapped in your hold and you pushed away from him, flipping in mid-air and landing upright on the ground behind him.

 

You executed it perfectly. Natasha would have been so fucking proud.

 

If it had done a damn thing.

 

He just half turned around and backhanded you, sending you reeling backwards so you crouched on one knee and slammed your open fist into his sternum, sending him reeling back this time. He curled his fist and swung at your head but you caught it in your hand and held it, blocking his other fist with your forearm. Your muscles trembled with the effort of holding him back, he was that strong.

 

Maybe you really did need a bomb to win this one.

 

Or maybe you needed to lose this one. If he was this strong already, how much stronger would he be if he drained your life-force? For a second, you really considered it. You knew you were willing to die for this cause, this was your chance to prove it. Clegane would slaughter the Kree if he had the chance, you could give him that chance. All you had to do was die. All you had to do was give up your life and with it, any chance of seeing Steve again, any chance of begging his forgiveness. All you had to do was give up Loki.

 

You looked up into the crowd, your eyes searching for the one person in the universe you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt you wanted to spend your life with.

 

And then you let go, you let Clegane slam you into the sands.

 

The second your back hit the dirt Clegane was leaning over you and stabbed the sword firmly into the sand, through the palm of your hand. You grit your teeth to contain the grunt of pain as his hand grasped painfully at your jaw, squeezing as he absorbed your lifeforce. As the seconds ticked by you blocked out the sound of the crowds, concentrating only on two things.

 

The feeling of your life-force leaving you, making you weaker and weaker. And slowly pushing your hand up, wrapping your fingers around the blade and ignoring the bite as it shredded your flesh. You pulled it from the ground and you managed to free it from your hand. With all the strength you had left you grasped the hilt and swung it.

 

Abruptly, your life-force started returning to you and Clegane’s arm fell uselessly aside, no longer attached to his body. His shock gave you a chance to push him away from you and you shakily pulled yourself to your feet as he stumbled back. He looked dumbly down at the stump where his arm used to be and the blood that was gushing from it. He was surprised but he wasn’t weakened and moving quickly you raced towards him, dropping to your knees and sliding across the sand with the long dagger held out to the side.

 

As you slid past him you heard his yell of frustration as the blade sliced through the muscle and bone of his leg and you were sprayed with blood as you lopped off yet another limb. You glanced over your shoulder to see him trying to maintain his balance and satisfied, you dropped the dagger onto the ground and stood up.

 

You calmly walked over to Mischief, like you had all the time in the world and kicked it into the air and catching it before you made your way back over to a seething Clegane. You turned your back on him and looked at the crowds, focusing only on Loki who was looking back at you with pride. Sliding your thumb upwards you released the blade and holding Mischief out in front of you, you spun around.

 

The blade sliced through Clegane’s neck like butter, the cartilage and muscle providing no challenge for your trusted weapon.

 

And as his head fell to the sand and rolled away, the seconds stretched into what felt like an eternity.

 

You had done it, you had won. And if you were really as unselfish and heroic as you said you were, you would have let him drain your strength and use it to destroy the army. But he was dead and you were the victor and as what was left of his body hit the sand the crowd surged to their feet and time started moving again.

 

You raised Mischief into the air and pointed the tip of the blade at Glahn-Betn. It could be seen as a mark of respect, you honouring the General you wanted to fight for.

 

But it was a silent vow, that he would suffer the same fate as Clegane and everyone else you had to kill to get to him.

 

He grinned ferally and pushed himself to his feet, roaring.

 

“You say she is a mere child, but this child is a warrior! Feast your eyes on our new champion!” He yelled.

 

The crowd was screaming and clapping and stamping their feet and you could feel the beat of your heart thumping in time with it all. It was savage and primal and under all your rage and fear and shame you were terrified to realize you had never felt more alive.

 

The cheered for you, cheered for ‘the warrior child’, their champion, until someone screamed something and one by one they all picked up on it, gradually building in pace and tone until as one they were all chanting it.

 

War child.

 

It took on a life of it’s own, their frenzy increasing until the words blended together and your heart was beating too quickly in your chest. Glahn-Betn raised his hands and an immediate hush fell over the crowd.

 

In all your time with the Avengers you had yet to receive a superhero moniker. Here, on an alien world with the blood of your victim still drying on your blade, your enemy stared down at you and bestowed your new name on you.

 

“WarChylde!” He roared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooft, it was so painful to write a lot of these scenes. 
> 
> Hopefully it wasn't as painful to read them or you'll have hated this chapter.


	17. WarChylde

“Nobody has been able to kill the Epsiloni but WarChylde struck him down and still she stands, unblemished.” Glahn-Betn announced and the crowd hung on his every word.

 

“You have earned a place in my army, with you amongst my most trusted soldiers, my enemies will fall.” He said to you.

 

At least it had been worth it, all you had done today.

 

“Now for your first command my WarChylde, dispense of those unworthy of my army.” He ordered.

 

The gates creaked open behind you and you turned around as all of the Greens were shoved through. Your eyes found Gun’s and as you watched in horror as his band turned black, all of their bands turned black.

 

And yours turned blue, the same shade of blue as the skin of Kree warrior standing above you.

 

You should have seen this coming. Loki had told you that this psychopath thrived on bloodshed and fighting. You had impressed the psychopath with your own violence. He wanted to see you shed more blood in his name, he wanted to build your reputation, he wanted to watch you slaughter people on his command and he wanted it to be witnessed. His might and savagery, your obedience and violence to be seen by the crowds.

 

You had already proved you were skilled enough to be in his army, now he wanted you to prove you were dutiful and ruthless enough.   

 

So you did.

 

You dug your heels into the sand and pushed off from the ground, sprinting towards them. You ran straight for Gun, your eyes sliding over to the tallest of your competitors, a some 12ft behemoth, and Gun’s eyes widened before he nodded at you. Just as you approached him, you both reached out and his hand closed around your wrist and he spun around, tossing you through the air. You flew past the behemoth, Mischief’s blade dragging across its throat and its body fell to the ground with an earth shattering crash as you landed in a crouch a few feet away.

 

There was a beat of silence at the sudden decimation of the most intimidating of your opponents and the unlikely partnership of you and Gun before the crowd exploded with electrified excitement and the rest of the competitors threw themselves into the battle with wild abandon.

 

Fighting them one on one, you could win. But fighting them all at once, where you didn’t have time to strategize, time to think beyond the next swipe of your blade, when it all became a haze of blood and death and you took all the hits that wouldn’t be fatal, letting your body be cut to pieces and bruised and broken so long as it didn’t kill you, you _thrived_.

 

Someone thrust a knife at you and you moved a centimetre to the side and let it sink into your arm instead of your torso before stabbing them in the jugular with the blade of Mischief and slid your thumb to the side, ripping out their throat from the inside as the blade turned.

 

You lost yourself to the rage that had been building in you, you lost yourself in a sea of blood. It was brutal and it was savage.

 

You were savage

 

You pulled the knife from your own arm and tossed it to Gun so he could slam in down into someone’s skull.

 

You felt someone’s ribs crack under your fist and left them in the sand, coughing up blood.

 

Someone thrust their sword into your back and you barely flinched, glancing behind you in time to see Gun decapitate them with a swing of his own sword.

 

Someone tossed a shield through the air and you caught it with ease, familiarity almost breaking through your consciousness before it was swallowed down by the rage again and you tossed the shield back harder, crushing it’s owner.

 

It wasn’t skill or training that served you, it was your enhanced healing. You were difficult to put down and that combined with your brutality made you nigh on unstoppable. You had always been a thinker, using your cunning to win but with your brain switched off and your humanity locked away you relied on instinct. And your instincts as it turned out, were dark and twisted.

 

The sand turned to mud under your boots as it was saturated with blood, a lot of it yours. You had been stabbed numerous times in every limb and there was a gash along your chest that was soaking your front with blood but you couldn’t feel any pain, you were too flooded with adrenaline. You noticed with detached interest that you weren’t breathing right and glanced down to see a knife protruding from your side, piercing your lung. You yanked it out and tossed it aside, setting your sights and the last contender in the arena who was looking between you and Gun with resigned fear.

 

You coughed up a mouthful of blood and spat it out as you marched towards the last victim, twirling Mischief in your hand and slicing the last one across the gut.

 

It was over.

 

All that was left was the carnage surrounding you, the bodies littered across the sands. And Gun.

 

Gun who had taken you under his wing, who had saved your life minutes after meeting you, who had a family waiting for him, who was noble and brave. Gun who had watched your back even as he knew it would come to this, who had honourably chosen to not stab you in the back even though he could have.

 

Gun who dropped his weapons on the ground as he crossed the Arena to stand in front of you and slowly and deliberately knelt in the sand before you.

 

You looked up at Glahn-Betn who had left his seat in favour of leaning over the balcony to watch you with unbridled glee and bloodlust.

 

“He showed loyalty to me and by extension and more importantly, loyalty to you. Should I still kill him?” You asked.

 

_Please don’t make me do this. Please, please, please._

 

He leaned forwards and grinned ferally at you.

 

“Kill him.”

 

You nodded once, decisively.

 

Gun’s eyes were heavy with sorrow but he didn’t look surprised.

 

“Don’t aim for the heart.” You whispered without moving your lips, flicking your eyes to the dagger on his belt.

 

You drew your arm back, wielding Mischief with purpose and prayed he understood. The dagger pierced into your side and Gun surged to his feet, slamming his shoulder into your chest and knocking you back as he whispered a low ‘sorry’.

 

“Throw me into the wall, hard as you can.” You hissed under your breath.

 

Gun clearly didn’t have any idea what you were playing at but his life was in your hands so he did as you said and picked you up, hurling you at the wall under Glahn-Betn. Gun had thrown you 12ft into the air with ease, you knew he could throw you at the wall hard enough to crack it and you were right. Dust and shards of stone fell down on you as you landed heavily on the sand.

 

He advanced on you, and there was no confusion in his eyes, there was only trust. You didn’t know what you had done to earn that trust and you knew you sure as hell didn’t deserve it, but you needed it right now.

 

Because no matter how much of a savage, bloodthirsty brute you had allowed yourself to become for this cause, you weren’t so far gone that you would kill your friend.

 

Fuck the plan, fuck the mission. Glahn-Betn died tonight, or you did. Either way, it ended.

 

You stood up and stalked forwards, turning your body to the side and he seemed to understand because like a well-rehearsed dance, he turned to the opposite side until he was the one with his back to the wall. A minute flick of your eyes and he dove to the side as you punched with all your might, your fist slamming into the wall where his head had been a split second before. The crack that had been caused by your body widened, traveling up the wall. There was now a some 20ft splinter in the stone.

 

“I’m an assassin, I’m going to kill the general.” You whispered as you shook your fist.

 

“I know. Your mischief told me about you… Kitten.” He whispered back.

 

You reeled from the shock.

 

Gun was working for Loki.

 

The night before you left Claruis, (had that really only been last night?) Loki had come alone to Asylum, to scope it out. And he had found an ally for you, to watch out for you when he couldn’t. That _sly fucker_.

 

“Enough WarChylde, kill him.” Glahn-Betn called down to you, boredom in his tone.

 

“Go for my weapon.” You muttered and Gun sprang away from you, running for Mischief where it had fallen on the sand. You went in the opposite direction, you went for the corpse that still had a shield embedded in its chest and you yanked it out as you ran past. Putting on a burst of speed you ran across the Arena and several feet up the wall before you pushed off from it and spun in the air. Channelling Captain America you tossed the shield through the air and prayed.

 

You had never particularly excelled at it when Steve let you play with the shield, or more accurately, when you Sam and Bucky ‘borrowed’ it for sparring. But on those joyful occasions, filled with affectionate teasing and playful banter, there hadn’t been quite so much at stake.

 

You threw the shield with deadly accuracy, with purpose and it embedded itself solidly in the crack on the wall even as you were already halfway back across the arena. Your actions finally made sense to Gun and likely everyone else in the Arena and your cohort tossed your weapon above his head as you ran over to him and he caught your foot in his hands as you leapt at him, then with unfathomable strength he propelled you into the air. You snatched Mischief as you hurtled upwards and you used the planted shield to pivot off of and leap the rest of the distance up the wall, landing in a neat crouch on the ledge where you finally came face to face with Glahn-Betn.

 

~~~

 

You were magnificent, in the most terrifying way. And the more you killed, the more he knew you were dying inside. The fearsome warrior on the sands was not his sweet, noble Kitten and it was all his fault. He had brought you here, he had put this burden on your shoulders. He would never forgive himself and he knew you would never forgive yourself either. The noble soldier he had approached and subtly talked into watching out for you fought with you and between the two of you, the rest of the opponents were decimated.

 

He had been pleasantly surprised at the level of loyalty in your accomplice though and when he had knelt for you Loki was shamed by the twinge of jealousy in him.

 

 _“Should I still kill him?”_ You had asked, as if you would actually do it.

Loki knew better, but he didn’t see how you could get out of it without ruining everything.

 

The second you threw the shield into the wall he knew what you were planning.

 

“Stupid girl.” He hissed.

 

There were too many soldiers, Glahn-Betn could see you coming. This was all wrong, you were going to get yourself killed.

 

He didn’t hesitate to jump to his feet and run towards you. It didn’t matter if you’d abandoned the plan, he wasn’t going to abandon you. The idiots in the crowd slowed him down, all of them scrambling in the opposite direction, fleeing in their panic and pushing him back, further away from you.

 

He conjured his daggers and used them to clear a path, not particularly concerned with who it was he was killing, all he cared about was reaching you. He could barely see what was going on, just the occasional flash of silver as you used your ridiculously named weapon to cut through the soldiers in your way and the crimson sheen of blood glittering in the air.

 

Then he heard the single worst sound in the universe, the worst sound he had even heard. You screamed, loud and raw and the icy tendrils of fear wrapped around his heart and squeezed.

 

You were too far away and it didn’t matter how many citizens he cut down, he couldn’t move forward quickly enough.

 

“Don’t kill her. I want her alive.” He heard Glahn-Betn roar before the bastard himself came into view and stepped over the edge of the balcony, falling gracefully onto the sands.

 

You were dragged into sight and it was taking five of Glahn-Betn’s finest soldiers to hold you. He was going to kill the four that each had one of your limbs wrapped in their grasp but the one that had her fingers wrapped in your hair as she slammed your head onto the edge of the balcony, that one was going to live for decades in the most painful and soul crushing circumstances his twisted mind could devise. Even from this distance he could see the panic and fear in your eyes as the Kree bitch forced you to look down into the arena as Glahn-Betn wrapped his hand around your friends throat and twisted. The resounding snap echoed through the Arena.

 

He'd thought your first scream had been the worst thing he had ever heard but the one that ripped from your throat now would haunt his nightmares forever.

 

Even though it pained him to do it, he reminded himself that you would heal and he resumed his normal form and summoned his seiðr, sending a blast at you and your captors. They were blasted back but you’d been too low, bent over the balcony and you took the brunt of the blast without being able to get away from it. You were discombobulated, beaten to a pulp and still you set your sights on the enemy. He hissed in sheer frustration as he watched you clamber over the balcony and let yourself tumble over the edge.

 

He gave up trying to break through the crowds and ran for the edge of the Arena, leaping over the balcony and landing with far more grace than you, considering he landed lithely on his feet as his armour shimmered into place and you landed on your side, curled into a ball.

 

“You _IDIOT_!” He snarled at you as he crossed the sands towards you.

 

“You were supposed to run!” You wheezed, pulling yourself to your feet.

 

“Loki, formerly of Asgard, my old friend. I should have known, this treachery reeks of you.” Glahn-Betn sneered, stepping into his path and unsheathing a broadsword from the sheath along his spine.

 

“Yeah he masterminded the whole thing, I’m totally innocent.” You said sarcastically, your eyes frantically looking for a way to reach him without having to go through Glahn-Betn.

 

“It _was_ my plan Kitten.” Loki reminded you, taking a step backwards to try and lead the tyrannical dictator away from you.

 

There was a reason he’d wanted you to surprise Glahn-Betn rather than challenge him directly. He had seen Glahn-Betn fight, he didn’t want to see him fight you. As skilled as you were, as utterly unpredictable, he couldn’t be certain you would win and it wasn’t a risk he was willing to take.  

 

“Not true, screwing it up was all my idea.” You muttered.

 

There was a sassy remark on the tip of his tongue until he saw where your eyes were gazing and your expression crumbled to one of utter heartbreak. Your sorrowful gaze had fallen on the dead body of your friend and the murderer turned his back on the god of Mischief in favour of advancing on you instead.

 

His blast of seiðr hit you and knocked you away from Glahn-Betn and when the green light faded, there were a dozen you’s standing there.

 

“I’ll make you a deal, if you can figure out which one is the real me on the first try, I’ll only kill you very painfully instead of very very painfully.” All the illusions offered the seething Kree warlord, snarling the words in tandem.

 

The sword hurtled through the air, slicing through seven illusions before it reached the real you and you caught it by the hilt, the sharp edge millimetres from your face. By that time, Loki had crossed the Arena  in a few purposeful strides, his own illusions tapering off until the Arena was filled with his holograms and Glahn-Betn was forced pick up an axe from the sands and engage them as they rushed him.

 

Everytime one dissipated, he conjured another, making his way towards you all the while. But you had jumped on the distraction and were making your way to Glahn-Betn, determination and rage rolling off of you as you leapt the last few feet.

 

The flat side of the axe knocked you off your trajectory and you landed on the other side of the Arena, rolling to your feet. Loki was so concerned with you that it took him a moment to fully realize what had actually happened. He almost did a double take when he saw the sword sticking out of Glahn-Betn’s chest. The Kree looked just as surprised as he grasped the hilt and pulled it out.

 

“I’ll make _you_ a deal WarChylde. When I kill you I’ll make sure your friend and your lover are discarded in the same mass grave as you. Maybe I’ll bury all your victims with you.” Glahn-Betn hissed hatefully at you.

 

You looked like he’d dealt you a physical blow rather than an emotional one.

 

The tenseness of the atmosphere rose as your eyes flashed dangerously and Loki just knew you were going to do something stupid. Something _else._ He was too far away to stop you and as he ran towards you, you and Glahn-Betn hurtled towards one another.

 

You were really going to fight an infamous warrior without a weapon. The sword swung down on you and you reached up to grasp it, the blade slicing through your palm as you held it back and curled your other hand into a fist and landed a solid blow to Glahn-Betn’s windpipe just as Loki reached you and sunk a dagger into the warlords back. The Kree let go off the sword and swung his elbow into the side of your head at the same time he threw his head back, his skull smashing into Loki’s face.

 

Soldiers flooded into the Arena and began making their way down the seats towards the pit. He reached for you, trying to draw you into his arms so he could whisk you away with the Tesseract but you were having none of it and shoved him forcefully away.

 

“Take the soldiers.” You commanded, blocking the next blow aimed for your ribs and standing on the dropped sword so it couldn’t be picked up.

 

“You take the soldiers.” He snapped back, ducking under a blow meant for his jugular and tossing a dagger to you.

 

“Mischief.”

 

“Kitten.”

 

“Take the soldiers trickster.” Glahn-Betn sneered, back-handing you.

 

Your body sailed away from him again and he decided that in the future he was going to have to tie you up, binding you to him in.

 

He summoned the Tesseract and saw the way Glahn-Betn’s eyes lit up.

 

“Take it. Take and go.” He ordered, throwing it across the Arena to you.

 

Glahn-Betn lunged across the sands and caught it but it shimmered out of existence and Loki threw the real Tesseract to you.

 

 As you caught it you looked at Loki furiously, knowing you couldn’t throw it back and you didn’t have the powers to hide it away. He had backed you into a corner, you had to flee and you knew it. He could see the desperation on your face as you ran through every possible scenario and the way the hope drained out of you when you realized that you could not risk the Tesseract falling into the enemies hands.  You would never forgive him for this, but you would live and that was enough.

 

The Tesseract glowed in your hands, the swirling blue light flickering and he memorized every line of your face before you disappeared, he committed every centimetre of you to memory. You were worth dying for and he would go happily to his grave if it meant you would survive. 

 

And then you dropped the Tesseract, letting it fall from your hand. It spun towards the ground, folding in on itself and disappearing from sight before it could land.

 

“NO!” He yelled in tandem with the enemy.

 

“I am not leaving you Mischief. Not ever.” You vowed.

 

Of course not, of course you wouldn’t run. You were impossible and stubborn and Norns, he loved you but he was going to kill you himself. After he saved you.

 

Pulling up every ounce of magic that resided in him he blasted Glahn-Betn out of the way and conjured at least a hundred copies of himself and you as he raced to you.

 

“Why didn’t you run?” He demanded as he grabbed for you and finally, _finally_ he had you in his arms.

 

“Why didn’t _you_ run?” You hissed back at the real him.

 

“Because I thought you were about to get yourself killed!” He snarled.

 

“Then you were supposed to flee! How could you be so STUPID?” You screamed at him.

 

“Because you chose me! Because I have lost everything but I found you and if you are gone it is a loss I could not survive! Because _I love you!_ ” He screamed back.

 

Your face drained of all anger and fear until you were left gaping at him.

 

“I love you.” He whispered again, his throat tight.

 

The slight widening of your eyes was the only warning he had and then you had roughly pushed him aside, sending him stumbling into the wall and he looked back in time to see the axe that had been meant for his unprotected back, buried in your chest instead.

 

“NO!” He roared, but it was useless, even as the desperate cry of disbelief tore from his lips he could see the river of blood pouring from your chest and your knees buckled as Glahn-Betn pulled the axe free with a satisfied grunt. The gash it left behind was wide and deep and it had cut through most of your internal organs, including your heart.

 

His heart.

 

The light was already fading from your eyes as you turned them to him, sorrow in your gaze. Scarlet blood spilled from your lips as they moved, forming just one word to him.

 

_Run._

 

He had thought you were in danger and come to save you, only to be forced to watch you die in front of him. With the small amount of life left in your eyes he could see you pleading, feel the palpable desperation on you for him to flee, to let you die knowing he was safe.  

 

Loki had no small amount of rage in him, it had been building for a millenia. From never being Odin’s favoured sun, from being forced into the shadow of the brother he could never bring himself to hate, from being raised with the promise that he might be a King but knowing deep down it would never come to pass, from knowing he would be a good King but would never have the chance, from finding out his entire life was a lie, from finding out he had been left to die as an unwanted child, from trying so hard to please the man who’d stolen him away and being nothing but a bitter disappointment, from falling into the void and learning the true meaning of hopelessness, from being tortured and manipulated, from being seen as a villain, from being imprisoned by his own family for crimes he hadn’t had a choice in committing, from unwittingly assisting the creature that had slain his mother, from finally being King only to have his ruse discovered… The list was long and painful and then you had come and it all stopped being so unbearably painful. He finally had hope that his past did not have to define his future. You had soothed all that rage.

 

And as you lay dying on the floor while your killer laughed at his pain, the rage erupted from him, exploding with such force it wreaked havoc upon the Arena.

 

Seiðr burst from him in a wash of blinding green light and he screamed his rage out until his throat bled.

 

His blast had shoved Glahn-Betn back he knew not where, dead or alive he didn’t know but all he cared about in that moment was you. He collapsed at you side and pulled you into his arms, his tears dripping onto your skin.

 

“Don’t die, don’t leave me.” He begged.

 

You were barely alive, the wound was killing you far faster than your body could heal it and you had seconds of life left in you. If he could just keep you alive long enough for your body to heal enough of the damage you could live but he couldn’t do it, he didn’t have the ability and you had sent the Tesseract off he knew not where.

 

He let go of all his protection, tearing down every wall within him and turned his face to the heavens.

 

“HEIMDALL! OPEN THE BIFROST! I SURRENDER, DO YOU HEAR ME? I SURRENDER. Just open it, please.”

 

He wrapped his arms around you and held you to him and the ceiling of the Arena exploded as the rainbow lights surrounded him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry. So sorry. 
> 
> To recap...   
> Kit went a bit off the deep end at the beginning of this chapter.   
> Then Gun made that shocking revelation.  
> Then Kit went all Captain Cold on our asses (Make the plan, Execute the plan, expect the plan to go off the rails, throw away the plan.)   
> Kit got her cocky ass kicked because angry gladiator brawls do not prepare you for fighting the best of the Kree warriors.   
> Gun died! :'( RIP MY LOVE  
> Loki went berserk.   
> Lokitty reunited.  
> Kit threw away the Tesseract because she refused to abandon her hubby.   
> Loki confessed his love.   
> Kit is dying and Loki just handed his ass to Asgard in hopes of saving her. 
> 
> WOOOOFT. It wasn't even that long a fucking chapter! 
> 
> I'm sorry about the pain in this chapter and I'm sorry that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't write it the way I envisioned it. So I'm afraid to ask this but desperate to know... Thoughts?


	18. They're Taking The Kitten To Asgard

“What’s the diagnosis doc?” You asked.

 

“Do you want the scientific explanation or a general overview?” Bruce asked, looking at you with amusement.

 

“Does the scientific explanation come with subtitles?” You dead-panned.

 

“I’m afraid not.” He chuckled.

 

“Then give me the gist of it.” You snickered.

 

“The serum they injected into your heart essentially soaked up the serum in Steve’s blood and your body adapted, changed. Your basic DNA characteristics haven’t changed, you’re still you but you’ve soaked up the improvements that were in the Super-Soldier serum. I had to isolate the healing factor and manipulate it to allow you to survive the process.”  Bruce explained.

 

“So, what the hell am I? A human sponge? Wait, no, don’t tell anyone I said that. If I get stuck with that as a moniker I’ll turn into a supervillain purely on principal.” You said with a grimace.

 

“I’m sure we can come up with a better name for you. Don’t worry.” Bruce assured kindly.

 

“WarChylde.”

“What did you say?” You asked him, looking up in shock as a twinge of fear ran through you.

 

“I said we’ll come up with a better name for you.” He repeated.

 

“This… This already happened.” You whispered.

 

This was a memory, from one of your first days in the compound.

 

Everything came back in one earth shattering second. This had happened a long time ago, on Earth, before Loki, before…

 

“WarChylde?” Bruce asked, leaning over you in concern.

 

“Don’t! Don’t call me that.” You gasped, pushing him away.

 

And then it wasn’t Bruce anymore, it was Gun.

 

“I would never call you that, little one. After all, you couldn’t commit to it.” He said softly.

 

 _“Kitten, look at me.”_ Loki called.

 

You turned around straight away at the sound of his voice but there was nobody there.

 

“Gun, what’s… Gun?”

 

He was gone. You were alone in the Arena.

 

But hadn’t you been in the compound? How did you get to the Arena?

 

“You used that.” Elder reminded you, pointing at your left hand.

 

You glanced down slowly and saw the Tesseract in your hand, glowing and pulsating.

 

“But I… Ow!” You gasped, dropping the Tesseract as it sent a wave of burning pain through your palm.

 

It spun towards the ground and disappeared.

 

 _“Hold on for me my love, hold on.”_ Loki begged but you couldn’t see him.

 

“What’s going on?” You whispered, looking back up at Elder.

 

Only it wasn’t Elder stood there anymore. You stumbled back in fear as Glahn-Betn grinned ferally at you.

 

“Well done WarChylde. You have caused so much death, so much blood.” He praised, gesturing at the bodies on the sand.

 

“I won’t feel guilty for it, I won’t.” You hissed.

 

“Because you enjoyed it.” He taunted.

 

“Because they weren’t innocent. They were collateral damage, they were in my way and they deserved to die.” You argued, wishing you could believe it.  

 

“My thoughts exactly.” He laughed.

 

And then you actually looked at the corpses, really looked and you screamed. These weren’t your victims, these were his.

 

Your knees hit the sand as a sob ripped itself from your throat and you were faced with the consequences of your actions. The Avengers, slaughtered because of your weakness. You crawled over the red, wet sand as tears blurred your vision.

 

“Steve? Steve please, get up. Please, you have to get up.” You gasped, shaking him desperately.

 

“Dad. Please don’t leave me.” You sobbed.

 

“But didn’t you leave him first? And for what? You failed, and you killed him.” Glahn-Betn hissed in your ear.

 

You roared with rage and pain as you spun around and launched at him but you never made it, he was prepared and sunk the axe into your chest as soon as you faced him.

 

“You failed, WarChylde.” He jeered.

 

And then you were falling into darkness and everything went black.

 

_“I love you.”_

 

~~~

It was unsettling how familiar this cell was to him, how easily he had slipped back into the despair that had plagued him the last time he had been here. Only this time, his despair wasn’t for his own future.

 

He had been thrown into his cell and left to suffer. He had not been brought before Odin and nobody even looked his way, let alone spoke to him. His magic was inhibited, he could not cast his seiðr outside the cell and that meant his connection to you was broken. That was why he couldn’t sense you. It was the only reason he couldn’t sense you.

 

You were healing on your own by now. The healers had kept you alive long enough for your own magnificent abilities to take over and soon you would be completely well. He refused to dwell on how small and frail you had looked when he had thrust you into Heimdalls arms and begged the Guardian to save you. He pushed away the last vision he had of you, limp and lifeless in the gatekeepers arms before the chains were slapped on him and he was dragged away from you forever.

 

Instead he focused on the way you had looked that morning in Claruis he had brought you breakfast, sunlight streaming down on you and lighting every strand of your hair up, the light embracing you as if it weren’t jealous of the way you outshone it. He remembered the way you had smiled at him, for him, so filled with joy. So happy despite your heartbreak, so carefree despite the impending fight ahead of you. You had let go of it all to live in the moment, with him.

 

You had a million moments ahead of you like that one, and if the price was that he couldn’t share any of them with you then it was worth it.

 

Loki of Asgard, bastard Prince of Jotunheim had found his heart, the light within his soul and nobody would ever know.

 

Except you.

 

But in time, you would forget about him. You would go home, back to your father and he and his self-righteous friends would help you defeat Glahn-Betn. And then you would move on with your life and he would become nothing more than a memory, a half remembered adventure. Maybe… maybe you would think of him from time to time. Maybe you would look at Thor and be reminded of his foolish brother.

 

You would find another to love you, of that he had no doubt. They would never be able to love you as much as he could though, they would not be able to cherish you the way he did. They wouldn’t deserve you and it burned his blood that eventually you would settle for someone else and they would lay claim to what was his, but it was a far better notion than you not living.

 

He didn’t regret it one bit, his choice to save you. He would make it a thousand times over. His life for yours, it was more than fair.

 

But it stung, that he had finally made the right choice, had finally done the right thing and still ended up here.

 

He had finally found someone to love, someone who had chosen him, and he would never see you again.

 

~~~

 

“Do all mortals heal so quickly?” Someone asked, the deep tenor of their voice cutting through the fog in your mind.

 

“No, I’ve never seen one heal like this.” A woman answered.

 

“I think she’s waking up.” A different man from the first noted.

 

You shot out of the bed, ignoring the sharp edges of pain and the sensation of something ripping inside your chest. You looked around wildly at the four people who had been watching you and your eyes fell on their weapons at the same moment you realized you had none. So you decided you would have to take theirs, but the second you moved, the womans hand shot out and grabbed your wrist and she spun you around and pushed you backwards where you stumbled against the edge of the bed. She moved fast, drawing a dagger and holding it to your throat.

 

“My Lady… Welcome to Asgard.” One of the men huffed.

 

Asgard? You weren’t on Asgard, you were on Asylum. You were in the Arena, with…. Loki.

 

It all came flooding back to you in a rush of gut punching emotion. Loki’s confession, that desperate, wild, vulnerable look in his eyes and behind him, Glahn-Betn advancing like a violent shadow of death. Then all you could remember was blood and pain and the absolute certainty you were dying. But you were alive and apparently in Asgard and the only way that was possible was if Loki had made it happen.

 

And if this was Asgard then the stunningly beautiful warrior who was holding a dagger at your neck must be…

 

“Lady Sif.” You greeted.

 

She raised her eyebrow and gave a very small smile.

 

“You know me then?” She asked.

 

“If I’m in Asgard there’s not many people you could be. Which makes this, Hogun, Volstagg and Fandral.” You said, pointing them out.

 

“Well met My Lady.” Fandral said charmingly, sweeping his arm behind him and bowing slightly.

 

“If you say so. Lady Sif, please either get your dagger out of my face, or buy me dinner first.” You said calmly, gently pushing the blade away with your index finger.

 

“Your word that you are calmed?” She asked before she moved.

 

“You have it.” You vowed and she took a step backwards, neatly sheathing the dagger.

 

“Sorry, I didn’t know where I was. I panicked. How… How did I get to Asgard?” You asked, swallowing thickly.

 

“You arrived by the Bifrost.” Volstagg announced cheerfully.

 

“I figured that part, it’s the rest I’m fuzzy on, and I think you know what I’m really asking.” You said heavily.

 

Where the hell was Loki? If he had gotten you to Asgard that meant he was alive, it had to mean he was alive.

 

“Loki was captured the second he arrived. He surrendered peacefully, without a fight.” Fandral said pompously.

 

“Why?” You snarled.

 

“In exchange for our healers saving your life. He said you are a dear friend of Thor’s and Heimdall confirmed it.” Sif explained.

 

“Where is Loki now?” You demanded.

 

“He’s in the dungeons, awaiting sentencing by the Allfather.” Hogun chimed in.

 

“Sentencing? Did I miss the trial?” You asked, panic flooding your system again.

 

They exchanged a look you couldn’t quite decipher.

 

“There is to be no trial My Lady.”

 

No trial. You inhaled deeply and tried to calm your erratic nerves. You needed to get to Loki, that was all you were certain of in that moment. You ran your fingers through your hair, assuring yourself that the braid was still intact, relieved that it was.

 

“I don’t suppose you know where my clothes are?” You asked politely, looking down at the loose fitting shift you were wearing.

 

“Ah, we had your leathers repaired and cleaned as best we could.” Fandral announced, picking them up off a table behind him and presenting them to you.

 

“By we he means somebody else.” Sif informed you.

 

“I need to speak to Odin.” You told her, having figured out she was the most sensible one of them from the many stories Thor had regaled you with in the past.

 

You untied the shift and let it drop to the floor, stepping away from the material, too concerned with finding Loki as quickly as possible to care about something like modesty. Or Volstagg and Hogun swiftly turned around and Sif smacked Fandral across the back of the head, making him turn around as well before she turned back to answer you.

 

“I will petition him to grant you an audience.” She offered as you at last checked the wound that had very nearly killed you.

 

“Or you could just point me in the right direction, there’s no time to waste.” You counter-offered, deeming yourself healed enough and pulling your clothes on.

 

“That is simply not how things are done. Granted, your arrival here was somewhat unusual and Odin will want to speak with you anyway no doubt, but Loki’s re-capture has left him quite busy.”

 

“It’s of grave importance. He will want to hear what I have to say, it effects everything, including the safety of Asgard.” You told her, pulling your coat over your shoulders and patting the hidden symbol on your chest.

 

“My Lady, you just woke up. You are still wounded. Please, rest.” Volstagg asked, turning back around.

 

“No time.” You chirped, striding towards the door and pulling it open.

 

Lady Sif and The Warriors Three had little choice but to sigh in various degrees of exasperation and follow you. You looked up and down the golden corridor and picked a direction, hurrying along it.

 

“My lady?” Hogun called and you turned around.

 

The four of them simultaneously lifted their hand and pointed in the opposite direction.

 

“Yip. Ok. Thanks.” You muttered, hurrying past them in the right direction.

 

At any other time you would have been in awe of the palace, of Asgard. If Loki were here you’d be running amok, firing a thousand questions a minute at him, and he’d sigh and roll his eyes but he’d still answer them. Without him by your side, Asgard felt empty. You couldn’t care less that you were in the city of gods, you wanted to find your god and slap him for not running and for trying to force you to run. And then you wanted to fall into his arms and never, ever let go. He had told you he loved you and for a brief shining moment you had been happier than you could ever remember being in your life. The words had been on the tip of your tongue, you had been desperate to say it back, to tell him you were utterly, completely, stupidly, unfathomably in love with him. You had been so consumed by bliss that you had forgotten where you were and then reality had shattered the moment and you had seen the glint of the axe and reacted instinctively, shoving him away from the danger.

 

You needed to know what had happened after that, was Glahn-Betn dead? Dare you hope for that?

 

But first, you needed to rescue Loki from his idiot father.

 

The King of gods, the Allfather.

 

“How angry is Odin likely to be?” You asked Sif nervously.

 

“He has no cause to be angry with you. Do not worry, we will stay with you, on Thor’s behalf.” She assured you.

 

You approached an intimidating set of ornate doors and Fandral hurried forwards to have a hushed conversation a guard before he turned around and waved you and your group over. The guards opened the door and you walked through them, into the throne room.

 

You had once been desperate to see this world, you had begged Thor to let you visit. He had told you that Odin did not allow mortals into Asgard. You thought about that as you made the unnecessarily long walk through the room to the man sat on his golden throne.

 

Did he really sit on that thing all day? There was nobody in the room except for him and a couple of guards. When you eventually reached him, Lady Sif and the warriors all dropped onto one knee and thumped their hands over their chest before looking at you expectantly, trying to wordlessly prod you into copying them.

 

“Oooh, you know, I would kneel but I’m still wounded. Very sore.” You said with a grimace.

 

“Then you should be resting, not barging in to my Throneroom.” Odin said disapprovingly, though his disapproval seemed to be aimed more at your rudeness than out of concern for your wellbeing.

 

“Forgive us Allfather, she says she has important news to discuss with you.” Sif said deferentially.

 

“Where’s Loki?” You asked, getting straight to the point.

 

“Loki is secured in the dungeons, he can harm you no longer.” Odin informed you.

 

So that was why Sif and the Warriors had been acting so strangely. They had all assumed that you would be relieved to be out of Loki’s clutches, they thought you wanted to know where he was so you could be reassured you were safe.

 

“Which would be reassuring, if Loki had ever hurt me.” You said bitingly.

 

“You were taken by him and arrived here, near death a few days later.” Odin pointed out.

 

“There are two people to blame for me almost dying. Loki isn’t one of them.” You snapped.

 

Odin leaned forward with a hint of curiosity.

 

“I was led to believe you were with Loki under duress, I would assume you would be relived to be freed from him.” He said carefully.

 

There was a prickling sensation on the back of your neck, the kind that usually warned you of incoming danger. Loki was unquestionably a criminal in Odin’s eyes and you were either Loki’s victim or his accomplice.

 

“He did take me from Earth against my will, it’s true.” You admitted.

 

“I am sorry for all you have suffered my child but all is well now. Now that you are healed, we will return you to your realm.” Odin said kindly.

 

You almost believed his benevolent act, if you didn’t know better you would have bought it, hook, line and sinker.

 

“He didn’t hurt me. He never hurt me. Because of Loki’s actions I was alerted to a threat against my planet and with his help I attempted to stop it. I made a mistake and it almost cost me my life, it would have cost me my life if Loki did not trade his freedom for the chance to save me.” You said honestly.

 

Odin seemed to be thinking about your words carefully before he spoke.

 

“Loki rarely does anything without reason. Why would he trade himself for you I wonder.?” Odin asked.

 

You had the sinking feeling in your gut that you were dangerously close to be throwing in the dungeons as well. If you thought it would help, you would go willingly, but something told you that you weren’t going to be able to help Loki from an adjoining cell.

 

“Loyalty.” You answered.

 

“You think Loki is capable of loyalty?”

 

“I do but that’s not what I meant. I was speaking of my loyalty. He saved my life, whatever his reasons, I can’t in good conscience just leave him to rot in a cell. On his behalf, I demand the right to a fair trial.” You said with as much confidence as you could muster.

 

“You have no right to demand anything.” Odin said dismissively.

 

“Never stopped me before.” You shrugged.

 

“Loki will receive no trial, he’s lucky he wasn’t executed on sight.” Odin said, sitting up straighter.

 

“Executed? He’s your _son_!” You said, aghast that he would even consider doing something so cold.

 

“He is an enemy of Asgard and all the nine realms. He long ago forfeited any right to mercy.” Odin decreed.

 

Your blood turned to ice in your veins.

 

“You’re going to execute him.” You whispered, horrified.

 

“The last time Loki was imprisoned I told him the only reason he was not dead was because of his mothers mercy. Frigga is gone, as is any shred of mercy I had left for Loki.” Odin told you.

 

That meant that Loki knew there was a chance he might be killed if he handed himself over. He knew that his own father might actually kill him. You didn’t care what the circumstances were, anyone who would kill their own child was a monster.

 

“Did it ever occur to you, Almighty Allfather, that everything Loki has done, can be laid at your feet?” You snapped.

 

Sif inhaled sharply and stood forward.

 

“Allfather she is still suffering from grievous injuries, the pain is clouding her senses.” She tried to argue on your behalf.

 

“No, it’s not” You insisted firmly.

 

You were past caring if Odin threw you in a cell, he had threatened Loki’s life. Logically you knew that it was probably just at threat, there was no way Thor would allow it to happen, even if Odin was actually going to do it. But emotionally, you were seeing red.  

 

“Let her speak.” Odin declared.

 

“What did you think was going to happen? You raised him to believe he could be a King, knowing you would never choose him. You pitted him against his brother in a competition that was rigged! For a thousand years you let him try to please you, you let him try his best and the whole time you knew it was never going to be enough. When Thor found out Loki was alive he said he should have known. Do you want to know why? Because you told him you were proud of him and that you loved him and you set him free to live his life and he said that he should have known then that it wasn’t you. Let that sink in, that your beloved son, your Golden child knows he can’t ever be enough for you. Now imagine how Loki feels. If Thor isn’t good enough, how the hell could Loki be?” You snarled.

 

“So because I did not coddle my children, I am to blame for Loki’s crimes?” Odin asked derisively.

 

“What crimes? What has Loki done that is actually so bad?” You asked, ready to argue Loki’s case.

 

You knew what Loki had done, you knew that they were technically crimes but you also knew that there were extenuating circumstances and that the law in this case, was Odin’s word. Maybe you could convince him to see reason. It was unlikely, but it was that or single-handedly fight the whole of Asgard to free Loki. You’d call that Plan B.

 

“Loki nearly destroyed Jotunheim and put us at war!”

 

“Because they tried to steal something during Thor’s coronation! That isn’t just an act of war, that’s an act of deep disrespect and would have made Asgard seem weak if there had been no retaliation. Then they tried to _KILL YOU_ , and Loki acting as a King, retaliated. He did the right thing, if he had done anything else Asgard would have been a laughing stock. It’s reputation would be tarnished and tarnished reputations lead to trouble. Loki ensured that nobody would see Asgard as weak. Even if you disagreed with his action he was well within his right as acting King to do what he did.” You argued.

 

It was a good thing that Thor was so chatty. You’d have never tried this tactic if you didn’t have a wealth of knowledge and stories from the gossipy god to fall back on.

 

“And his attack on Midgard?” Odin asked calmly.

 

“As one of the injured party in this situation I would make the argument that punishment for those crimes should come from Midgard and not Asgard and punishment should only happen _after_ his true motives are uncovered.” You sighed.

 

Loki’s attack didn’t add up to you anymore. It was something that you had been wondering about and had even hinted that to Thor in your letter.  But it was a weak argument and you knew it. Earth had already handed Loki back over to Asgard to be punished for those crimes.

 

“He attacked, imprisoned and impersonated the King.” Was the Allfathers next argument.

 

“An act of self-defence. He knew you would try to unjustly imprison him again.” You said as if it were obvious, because it was.

 

“There is nothing my son could do that you would not try to excuse is there?” Odin asked.

 

“There is nothing your son has done that can’t be explained.” You rebutted.

 

You weren’t a fool, you knew that Loki wasn’t an innocent. You knew he had done questionable things and you weren’t excusing him, you just cared more about his future than his past.

 

“At least allow him a fair trial!” You begged.

 

“I just did.” Odin sighed.

 

You’d thought you were making a case for Loki to be allowed a trail, not defending him in the trail yourself.

 

“The defence would like to call Thor Odinson as a witness.” You said quickly.

 

Thor would take your side, you knew he would. He loved his brother, no matter what. And when he found out Loki had saved your life it would only strengthen Thor’s determination to help his brother.

 

“This is not Midgard, your laws and practices do not apply here. I will not call my son back to Asgard for there is no need.”

 

“You might not have any love in your shrivelled up excuse of a heart for Loki but you _have_ to bring Thor here, you have to. You don’t want to listen to me, fine. Listen to Thor!” You pleaded desperately.

 

“It is out of love for my son that you are not being punished for your disrespect. Loki has infected your mind with his treachery and lies, in time, away from him, you will realize that. Your words have convinced beyond shadow of doubt that Loki is every inch the trickster he has always been.” Odin said with a note of finality.  

 

You felt like you’d been duped, because you had. Odin had played you like a fiddle. He had let you stand for Loki so he could use it as another example of Loki’s wrongdoing, bespelling the helpless little mortal. He never had any intention of listening to you and the harder you fought for Loki, the worse you made it.

 

“Please, your Majesty, please. You’re wrong about him.”

 

“I am not the one who is wrong about him child, it is you who can not see Loki for what he is.” Odin told you.

 

“I see him clearly.” You insisted.

 

Odin sat back and regarded you with something close to pity.

 

“You love him.” He said, It wasn’t a question.

 

You swallowed the lump in your throat and tried to blink back the tears that were starting to burn behind your eyelids. You hadn’t had the chance to tell Loki you loved him, you would not tell his father before him.

 

“You are a fool if you believe he loves you in return.” Odin sighed.

 

“Then why am I alive and he’s in a cell?” You pointed out.

 

“If you want mercy for Loki, you can help him by helping us recover something he stole from us.” Odin offered.

 

The Tesseract, he had to be talking about the Tesseract.

 

“I’ll tell you anything I can.” You promised, letting him think you were grasping onto the offer.

 

If Odin wanted the Tesseract he would promise you anything, but that didn’t mean he would deliver. And if he wasn’t going to let Loki go, you weren’t going to give him a thing.

 

“The Tesseract, where is it?”

 

“Can’t you just ask Heimdall to find it?” You asked.

 

“He is looking, but if you know anything it could save us valuable time.”

 

So you were the only one who knew where it was. Well you and the person you’d sent it to.

 

“Loki would use his magic to hide it when he wasn’t using it, I don’t know where he would send it though.” You said.

 

It wasn’t a lie.

 

“Why did he not use it to bring you to safety? Why call the Bifrost?” Odin pressed.

 

“The warlord we were fighting wanted the Tesseract, we couldn’t risk it falling into his hands.” You said.

 

“At least Loki had the foresight to keep it away from Glahn-Betn, we can be thankful for that.” He sighed.

 

“So you know who he is. You know the threat he poses? And you haven’t done anything to stop him?” You asked, nearly choking on your hatred.

 

“Wars are fought all the time, Asgard has neither the influence or desire to stop every single one of them. Perhaps if we were not still vulnerable from all of Loki’s treachery we would be in a stronger position to help. But a wise King does not enter into somebody else’s war when his Kingdom is still in disarray.” Odin explained.

 

“Maybe not, but a brave Prince does try to stop evil from infecting a world that has shown him no kindness.”

 

“A selfish man will send an innocent to kill his enemy.” Odin snapped.

 

Odin knew. He knew almost everything, except the one thing he wanted to know most of all. You had the Tesseracts location, which you weren’t going to give him.

 

“Can I see him?” You asked, knowing full well what the answer would be.

 

“No. I fear he will only try to manipulate you further. The kindest thing I can do for you is to send you home.”

 

“Please, I need to speak to him. You can’t just send me away, I need…”

 

“My decision is final.” Odin said, speaking over you.

 

He waved the warriors and Sif back over and instructed them to take you to the Bifrost immediately while you stood there dumbly, in shock. He was really going to do it, he was really going to send you away. To Earth.

 

“No. No please don’t.” You asked, breaking out of your reverie when Sif gently touched your elbow.

 

“Take her.” Odin ordered.

 

“NO!” You shouted, your desperation and heartbreak being echoed back at you as your voice reverberated around the room.

 

In desperation you dropped to one knee, self-respect be damned.

 

“Let me see him, just for a minute. Chain me if you have to, do whatever it takes. I’m begging you, please just let me see him.” You begged, your voice cracking as the damn finally burst and the tears rolled down your face.

 

Loki had given up _everything_ for you and you hadn’t even had the chance to tell him you loved him. He needed to know you felt the same way. He needed to know you weren’t going to rest until you found a way to free him.

 

Odin ignored you as Sif dragged you to your feet and tried to pull you away but you were unyielding.

 

“We have a plan.” She hissed in your ear, so low you almost missed it.

 

You went limp in her grasp and let her and Fandral pull you back, practically holding you off the ground as they swept you from the throne room.

 

“We have orders to instruct Heimdall to send you back to Midgard and then close the Bifrost until Odin says so.” Fandral told you as soon as you left the Throne room.

 

You looked over at Sif frantically.

 

“If you arrive back on Midgard before we reach the Bifrost, you’ll have just a few minutes to get to Thor.” She explained.

 

Thor. Thor could save Loki. He would make sure Odin didn’t do anything horrid, he would keep Loki safe while you found a way to get him out.

 

“Why are you doing this?” You asked her.

 

She looked at her friends and sighed.

 

“There is no love lost between us and Loki, but he is Thor’s brother and Thor is our loyal friend.” She told you.

 

It would do.

 

“Do you know how to ride a horse?” Volstagg asked.

 

“Where’s the Bifrost?” You asked, shaking your head.

 

“Follow this road, it will take you to the rainbow bride. Run swiftly my Lady, we will not be far behind.” She warned, holding out her arm.

 

“Thank you.” You said, squeezed her arm firmly in your grasp and looked her in the eye, conveying just how grateful you were.

 

It didn’t matter in that moment that she didn’t like Loki, she was going to help you save him. You let go of her and nodded at the Warriors Three as they bowed their heads respectfully back at you.

 

And then you ran.

 

You ran faster than you ever had in your life. You pushed your body so hard that it hurt, and it healed and it hurt again. Your feet barely touched the ground as you flew through the city, passing surprised Asgardians who can’t have seen much more than a blur as you sped by.

 

As soon as the path melded into the rainbow bridge of legend you sent a silent apology to Loki. You were going to find a way to be reunited with him and you would be able to tell him how you felt. Until then you hoped he would forgive you for leaving him behind.

 

As you drew closer to the Golden dome at the end of the bridge you could see the imposing figure stood inside waiting for you. As you approached he grinned and thrust a terrifying sword into the centre of the room.

 

“Thanks!” You yelled as you ran past him.

 

“You are welcome.” He chuckled as without a shred of hesitation you launched yourself into the Bifrost.

 

It was a whirlwind of colour as you were hurtled through space, back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Dr Frankenstein voice* SHE'S ALIIIIIVVVEEEEEE  
> Unfortunately, that's where the good news ends. 
> 
> Jingle Bells,  
> Loki's in Jail,  
> Kitten's gone away,  
> And as we know, Odin's a dick   
> So it's up to Thor to save the day   
> HEY


	19. Home Is Where The Heart Breaks

"THOR!”

 

As soon as you hit the ground, you were running again. Your heart was beating so loud it was like a ticking clock inside you. How close was Sif to the Bifrost?

 

“THOR! THOR!” You screamed at the top of your voice, ripping one of the hinges loose of the door as you yanked it open.

 

There were people running over to you, people you knew, important people, people you loved even. But none of them were the god of thunder so you ignored them.

 

“How did you arrive by the Bifrost?” Thor roared, hurtling towards you, his face set into hard lines.

 

“You have to go, you have to go now! Get to Asgard, please, he’s in danger. He’s going to kill him!” You blurted, grabbing Thor by the hand and physically dragging him outside and over to the spot you’d landed.

 

“Loki is in Asgard?” Thor demanded.

 

“Loki’s in the dungeon, he’s going to be executed. Save him Thor.” You pleaded as the air behind you whipped at your hair as Thor summoned Mjolnir.

 

Thor looked gobsmacked, terrified and determined all at the same time.

 

“You would have me save Loki?” He asked, the surprise lacing his tone overshadowed by the hope in it.

 

“More than anything in the entire universe. HEIMDALL!” You shrieked, throwing yourself back so Thor could be whisked away.

 

“No harm will come to Loki, I will not see my brother killed.” He vowed.

 

Then you had to turn away and shield your eyes as the lights of the rainbow bridge shone down on him and carried him to Asgard.

 

You had done it. Thor wouldn’t let anything happen to Loki, he was going to be safe.

 

You heard your name being yelled behind you, disbelief and wonder echoed at you and you spun around.

 

The onslaught of ambivalent emotions made your knees buckle under you. Relief and fear, joy and heartbreak.

 

Steve stared across at you, repeating your name with frenzy and it tore a sob from you.It felt like you hadn’t seen him in a lifetime. Had it really only been a week? You weren’t the same person who had left, too much had happened to you since then. But he was still Steve, he was still the first person he had ever been there for you and something deep and painful in your stomach untwisted and you took a shaky step forward, blindly moving towards him and it shook him out of his shock and he shot towards you. He crashed into you, his arms steadying you as they wrapped around you and you shattered.

 

You could barely hear anything over the sound of your own sobs but you could feel him wrapped around you. You clung to him and silently begged him to keep you intact, because you’d lost any hope of being able to do it for yourself. Your entire universe had been tilted on its axis and it was on the precipice of being obliterated and Steve Rogers was the one safe, steady thing you had left.

 

Because he was holding you. He was holding you and comforting you and that meant he didn’t hate you and the relief at that was mingling with the pain of your broken heart and rendering you a sobbing mess.

 

He must have picked you up at some point because you were inside the building, being gently set down and a gurney while Bruce said your name and The Avengers piled into the lab behind him.

 

You were truly, really home.

 

And you wished you weren’t.

 

“I’m fine. I heal.” You muttered, shrugging off Bruce’s tentative hand on your shoulder.

 

“Sweetheart, where’s Loki?” Tony asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft as he peered down at you with a worried expression.

 

“Asgard.” You answered coldly.

 

“He’s Odin’s prisoner.” You spat out.

 

You could hear the collective sigh of relief.

 

“And the Tesseract?” Natasha asked.

 

You shrugged. You couldn’t tell them the full truth. You needed to know they would help you first.

 

Steve’s hand on your cheek made you look at him and there so much compassion and relief in his eyes that you had to bite back a sob.

 

“That’s enough questions, she just got back. There’ll be time for that later.” He addressed the team without taking his eyes off you.

 

“We missed you Kitten.” Sam whispered, nudging past Steve to pull you into his arms.

 

It was like he’d smacked you in the face. Sam had been the first one to ever call you that but it was Loki’s name for you now.

 

“Don’t!” You snarled, shoving him away.

 

“Don’t call me that. Loki calls me that.” You snapped.

 

“Ok, it’s ok. I’ll come up with another nickname for you.” Sam said, his held his hands up in surrender as he tried to coax you into calming down.

 

You felt movement behind you and whipped around to see Bucky who had taken up a protective position behind you. He was stone-faced, but the worry in his eyes was prevalent.

 

“It’s ok kid, Loki’s gone. He’s in Asgard, he can’t get to you now.” Tony promised.

 

That did it.

 

“He’s in Asgard because he had to take me there to save my fucking life. The psychopath I warned you about buried an axe in my chest and if it weren’t for Loki I’d be a corpse. I’m not _afraid_ of him, I’m afraid _for_ him.” You shouted, glaring at them.

 

The silence that followed stretched on for far too long.

 

“You gave us a warning, said something was coming for us…” Steve said, swallowing thickly, his eyes flickering to your chest with worry and fear.

 

“Glahn-Betn, a Kree warrior with an army. He’s already conquered I don’t know how many planets and I thought I could stop him but I fucked up, I failed and now he’s coming for Earth.” You gasped, starting to hyperventilate.

 

Steve took a step back from you, letting Sam take his place, allowing the more experienced man to help you.

 

“Look at me. None of that matter right this second, none of it. The only thing you need to do now is breathe, that is your only responsibility.” Sam instructed.

 

“He’s coming. I couldn’t stop him. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” You gasped, vaguely aware of Natasha shepherding everyone out of the room until it was just you and the three soldiers .

 

“Breathe.”

 

You weren’t even sure what the words tumbling from your mouth were anymore, it all jumbled up in your brain as the reality finally set in and the emotional backlash of everything that had happened knocked the wind out of you. You could see Sam’s lips moving and Steve’s panicked face over his shoulder but they were blurry, you couldn’t focus. You blinked and suddenly they were switched around and Steve was in front of you, his hands squeezing yours. You heard a scream, a painful wail and stumble to your feet, not knowing where it had come from but instinctually needing to find whoever it was and help them.

 

Something pulled you back down and then there were metal fingers on your neck and a sharp pinch and everything went quiet as you slumped over into Steve’s ready arms.

 

~~~

 

_“You failed, WarChylde.”_

 

You woke up heaving, the same nightmare from before still gripping at you.

 

“It’s ok, you’re ok.” Someone said, their hands grasping at your shoulders.

 

You panicked and reacted on instinct, shoving them away with all your strength.

 

“It’s me! Calm down. It’s only me.” Steve soothed.

 

“Shit.” You muttered, crawling out of the bed and running over to where you’d thrown him across the room.

 

“It’s ok, it’s ok, shh.” He said, letting you wrap your arms around his waist and bury your face in his shoulder.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” You sniffled.

 

“Trust me, Bucky’s done a lot worse. At least you don’t have a metal arm… or a gun under your pillow.” He quipped, tightening his hold on you when you flinched.

 

“Sweetheart? What were you dreaming about? What happened up there?” He asked softly.

 

“I can’t. Don’t make me talk about it.” You begged.

 

“You don’t have to tell me, but you need to talk about it with someone.” He coaxed.

 

You pulled away, shaking your head resolutely.

 

“What I need is a shower, and where the hell are my clothes?” You sighed.

 

You couldn’t just sit around and cry, you had a thousand problems you needed to fix.

 

“The stuff you arrived in? Nat changed you, I think she put them in the laundry.”

 

You scowled and stormed across the room, pulling the coat out of the basket.

 

“So what are the malls like in space?” Steve asked, trying for humour.

 

“Loki gave them to me.” You told him, bundling the coat up and hugging it to your chest.

 

He flinched and then tried to cover it, but you’d seen it.

 

“I really need that shower. The water pressure in space isn’t quite up to Stark standards.” You said with what even you could hear was the fakest joking tone.

 

“Do you want me to make you something to eat?” He asked hopefully, standing up.

 

“Sure.” You said blandly.

 

“What do you feel like?”

 

“Whatever we have.” You shrugged.  

 

“A salad then.” He offered.

 

“Sounds good.” You agreed, not really listening.

 

“Really? You always tell me that you’d never willingly eat a salad when the world still had pizza to offer.” He said suspiciously, giving the that look that said he knew you were up to something.

 

“I’m just not hungry but you clearly need something to do so you can feel useful, so I’ll have a salad.” You sighed.

 

You didn’t mean for it to sound harsh but it was the truth and you didn’t have a filter right now.

 

He crossed his arms and stared you down, fatherly concern and disapproval seeping from him. It tugged at your heart.

 

“I missed you.” You whispered.

 

His expression immediately softened and he crossed the room in a few strides, his arms folding around you.

 

“I missed you too. I’m sorry it took you being sent to outer space for me to get over my fears and admit that I loved you. I should have been honest with myself, and you, from the start.” He said.

 

You gently pulled away and pushed the coat at him, tugging the flap of fabric free so he could see the hidden emblem.

 

“Is that… That’s my shield.” He laughed softly.

 

“I had everything close to my heart with me up there.”

 

“You have a symbol now, soon as Tony sees this he’d going to slap it on all of your suits.” Steve warned.

 

“Really? You think Tony’s going to be happy with Loki having designed my motif?” You scoffed.

 

He tensed up and you sighed.

 

“Do you know I can speak almost any language in the universe now? And I happen to know that the coffee on Vanaheim has caffeine strong enough to actually affect a super soldier. There’s a village on the other side of the universe that knows me as Sky Lady and they threw a party for me when I left them. More than once, I nearly died, and Loki saved me. He is not who you think he is, he’s not what you think he is.”

 

“Then what is he?” Steve asked you, his eyes searching yours.

 

“A friend.” You said firmly.

 

Steve nodded, but it was empty, a placating gesture. He couldn’t see Loki the way you did and without Loki here to prove the truth of your words, nobody would understand why you defended him. They really wouldn’t understand if you told them you loved him, and they’d lose any trust they had left for you. So you couldn’t tell them, you couldn’t risk it.

 

“But all the same, I’m so glad I’m home.” You lied.

 

“I’m glad you’re here as well sweetheart but we are going to have to have a discussion at some point.” Steve warned.

 

“Not tonight. I’m going to go see Bruce, get checked out. Make sure I don’t have space flu or something.”

 

“You’d just heal it.” He assured you, ruffling your hair.

 

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. I know for a fact that there’s viruses out there even I can’t heal.” You muttered as you clutched your coat to your chest again and walked out of the room as quickly as you could without alerting suspicion.

 

There was no chance in hell that anybody would be sympathetic to your cause of saving Loki. They didn’t trust him and they wouldn’t, no matter what you said. So you needed to do it the other way around. Save Loki and then have him earn their trust.

 

If you can’t bring Mohammed to the mountain, bring the mountain to Mohammed.

 

You peered into the lab, making sure it was empty before you let yourself in. You didn’t know if you’d find what you were looking for in here but Bruce had all sorts of chemicals lying around and you had seen him use some sort of dye on slides before so you thought it was at least possible that you could find something that would do the job.

 

“What are you looking for?” Bruce asked from the doorway.

 

You looked behind you, startled by his appearance.

 

“A chemical or something, something that can dye fabric.” You explained.

 

“Do I want to know why?” He asked with a twitch of his lips.

 

“Probably not, no.” You admitted.

 

He sighed and pulled his glasses off.

 

“Alright, I can make you something but if you dye Caps suit pink, I had nothing to do with it ok?”

 

You huffed out an almost amused breath of laughter.

 

“Thanks Bruce.”

 

“What colour do you want?” He asked, walking further into the lab and inspecting chemical solutions and gathering what he needed.

 

“Green.” You admitted.                 

 

He paused and looked back at you before he shook his head and carried on. You wandered over to Tony’s workbench which was for once, unoccupied. Gently shoving things out of the way you cleared a space and hopped onto it to sit and wait for Bruce to find or as it appeared he was doing, make you some dye. There were piles of paperwork and files scattered everywhere and you ignored them until you saw a familiar shade of blue peeking out from under a textbook on Quantum Mechanics. Picking up the file you flicked through it. What was inside made your heart skip a beat.

 

Bruce was measuring out droplets of a green dye into a beaker of developer liquid when you stormed over.

 

“What’s Operation: Open Door?” You asked, slamming the file down next to him.

 

He looked startled and guilty, his eyes shifting nervously between you and the file before he eventually sighed wearily and spun round in his seat to face you.

 

“It was Clint’s idea. When Loki took you we started looking into ways to find you or bring you back. Clint brought up how Loki came to Earth the first time, by opening the Tesseract from the other side.”

 

You didn’t need to get to the Tesseract to use it, you could use it to get to it.

 

“How does it work?” You demanded.

 

“It doesn’t Kit. We don’t know how Loki did it. We built a chamber that can theoretically take us to the Tesseract but it’s not complete. We thought we could make it work if we had a sample of pure Tesseract energy but we burned through what was left of Shields Phase Two weapons and it wasn’t enough.” He said disappointedly.

 

Which is why he was telling you, Because they couldn’t work it so there’s no harm in you knowing.

 

“I warned you Bruce, I came back to warn you. I had the Tesseract not Loki and you needed to be preparing for war. He’s coming for us and you wasted time on this instead.” You groaned.

 

“We are prepared. The military is on stand-by, the Inhumans have been warned. Steve took you at your word and put the entire world is on red-alert, but the rest of us had to face what he was trying to ignore. Loki has always been the bad guy, you can’t expect us to believe he suddenly changed.” Bruce argued softly, trying to be kind about it.

 

“You went behind Steve’s back? Well at least I know he trusts me, even if the rest of you don’t.” You said bitterly.

 

“You’re not being fair. We do trust you, it’s Loki we don’t trust.”

 

“Well you don’t have to worry about him anymore do you? He’s locked away and he’s never coming back.” You snapped.

 

The look Bruce gave you was equal parts patience and disappointment and as quickly as your flash of anger had come, it dissipated. They didn’t understand but it wasn’t their fault and Bruce had never been anything but kind to you, he didn’t deserve to be spoken to this way.

 

“I’m sorry.” You whispered, ashamed.

 

“I forgive you. You’ve been through a lot and you’re, well you’re not quite yourself.” He sighed, handing you a vial of bright green liquid.  

 

“I am me Bruce, I’m not the same person who left Midgard but I am still me.” You insisted, begging him to understand.

 

He just looked concerned and you knew he couldn’t get it. There was nothing you could say so you didn’t try, you just thanked him for the dye and left the lab.

 

~~~

 

The atmosphere in the living room was tense as Steve digested what Bruce was telling him.

 

“You’re sure?” He asked.

 

“No. But it all felt off, she felt off. She outright said she wasn’t the same person who left Midgard. Midgard, not Earth.” Bruce explained.

 

“She comes back, different, and the very first thing she does is send Thor away. Maybe we’re wrong Steve, but if we are then it won’t hurt to be sure.” Natasha encouraged gently.

 

“It’s not just up to me. This is on you, it needs to be your decision as well.” He said, turning to Wanda.

 

She thought it over carefully before she seemed to make up her mind.

 

“She is my friend as well, I want to help her. And if there is nothing to help her from, she’ll understand. I only want to help.” She said firmly.

 

“Alright so we’re decided, let’s go take a peek into your kids brain.” Tony said, clapping his hands together and jumping to his feet, but he couldn’t quite hide the nervous look in his eyes or the tenseness of his shoulders.

 

“We can’t just barge into her room and attack her mind. If she is under Loki’s influence that won’t go well and if she isn’t then it’s cruel. We need to keep her calm.” Bucky interjected, looking sick.

 

“Why don’t we just _ask_ her if we can do it.” Clint suggested.

 

He received more than a few incredulous looks.

 

“It’s better than blindsiding her and if she’s herself she’ll let us do it.” He defended himself.

 

“We need to be careful and we need to be subtle, we don’t know what kind of safeguards Loki has in place and we can’t risk hurting her.” Steve said resolutely.

 

“I have an idea of how we can do it.” Bucky sighed.

 

As he spoke, it was clear to anyone who knew him how difficult he was finding the situation. Having to invade the mind of someone he cared about because they might be being controlled.

 

“That could work. That will work.” Wanda agreed when he was finished.

 

“Alright. We’re doing this.” Steve said, the tick in his jaw jumping wildly.

 

~~~

 

You dipped the cleaned make-up brush into the dye and carefully and painstakingly stroked it onto the white A of the hidden emblem in your coat. The chemicals saturated the white thread, drying quickly and leaving it a comfortingly familiar shade of green. It was a small act that made you feel better, having some representation of Loki in the symbol that you would wear over your heart. He was as dear to you as Steve was, he deserved to be there just as much as your father or your team did.

 

But you still felt empty inside.

 

Your mistakes were weighing heavily on you and it was killing you to know that if you hadn’t screwed up the Loki would still be free. You’d been unable to kill Gun and maybe you could justify your decision if he hadn’t died anyway but he had, he’d died for nothing, you had been defeated, Glahn-Betn was coming for your home and Loki could be lost to you forever.

 

Even if you could find a way into Space, you didn’t know where Maarin actually was. And you couldn’t up and leave with Glahn-Betn’s attack looming over your planet, you couldn’t just cut and run.

 

You had let Gun down, you had let The Avengers down, you had let Loki down. You had let down Asylum and every other conquered planet, every other ruined life.

 

You had failed the entire universe. You should have died, it would have been nothing less than fair after what you had done, but Loki couldn’t let it happen and had given up everything to save you. You weren’t worth his life but he had done it anyway. And unlike last time he had put your life above his own, you couldn’t save him this time.  

 

Your tears splashed onto the emblem and you clutched at the coat, one of the last things you had to tie you to him since your weapon was lost in the Arena.

 

You had loved and you had lost him, and it hurt like hell.

 

“Kitten?”

 

Your head jerked up quickly at the sound of his voice and through the tears blurring your vision, you could see him. Stood there, tall and imposing as ever, bathed in shadows and moonlight.

 

“Mischief?” You gasped, scrambling off of the bed.

 

“Don’t.” He warned, holding his hand out to stop you coming any closer.

 

You paused, confused and hurt before you heard it, or rather didn’t hear it. There was no heartbeat.

 

“You’re not really here.” You whispered, your voice breaking.

 

“Thor has taken pity on me. He allowed me to use my seiðr to see you one last time, we only have a few moments.” Loki said back softly, moving as close to you as he could without touching you.

 

“Escape! Loki use it to escape, just run!” You begged quickly.

 

“It is not that simple. I am under heavy guard, even now Lady Sif is vigilantly holding a dagger to my throat so I do not try anything. I don’t have full access to my power, but I knew you would not have removed the braid. It is how I found you.” He said, his hand hovering above your hair as he traced his fingers over the strand of his own hair woven in with yours.

 

“You… This is all wrong. You shouldn’t have traded your freedom for me!” You gasped.

 

He was there but not there and it made you feel nauseous. He was right there but he was so fucking far away and there wasn’t a thing you could do about it.

 

“We don’t have time to argue which one of us is the bigger fool. That is an argument that would take years.” He told you with the saddest smile you had ever seen.

 

“I’m not going to leave you to die.” You vowed.

 

“Kitten, The Allfather never had any intention of executing me. He wanted you to give up the Tesseract.” Loki sighed.

 

The Tesseract, it always came down to that. But if Loki wasn’t going to die, that meant you had time to recover the cube!

 

“I know where it is, I can get to it, somehow. I sent it somewhere safe.” You said excitedly, grasping onto your renewed hope with both hands.

 

“Glahn-Betn already wants to destroy Midgard, I couldn’t risk him getting the Inhumans and The Tesseract in one victory. So I sent it to…”

 

“You sent it away to Maarin.” He told interrupted, pride shining in his eyes.

 

“How did you?” You asked in wonder.

 

“Of all the planets you know of, you would send it to the one that would kill anyone who stepped foot on it. You would protect the power without endangering anyone.” He smirked.

 

“But I can get it back, I can! I just need time. It’s…” You started to say.

 

“Don’t.” He cut across you.

 

“But..”

 

“No Kitten. Leave it where it is. Maarin is far away and the anti-dote I gave you would not last forever, you aren’t immune to the virus.”

 

“So I’ll wear a fucking spacesuit, an oxygen mask, it can be done.” You snapped.

 

“No, it can’t. You could waste years trying to recover the Tesseract, years of your life for what? As soon as you look for it, Heimdall could see where it is and beat you to it. It is safer where it is.” He insisted.

 

“It isn’t the only way into Asgard, I can find another.” You swore.

 

“It would take years. Do not waste your life on a slight chance you can find your way to Asgard. You chose me once, now I need you to choose yourself.” He pleaded.

 

“When I chose you I told you that you don’t get to remake my decisions for me. I am coming for you Mischief, I am.”

 

“Then do not remake _my_ decisions Kitten. I knew the deal I was making, my freedom for your life. It was a choice I made willingly and I don’t regret it. The consolation of this choice is knowing you are alive and free, do not sentence me to spending my days knowing you are throwing my gift away.”

 

You clenched your jaw and blinked back the fresh onslaught of tears. What he was asking was to much, it wasn’t fair. He couldn’t expect you to give him up or to give up on him.

 

“Promise me.” He demanded.

 

You shook your head and bit back a scream of frustration.

 

“Kitten we are running out of time. Promise me!” He shouted desperately.

 

“No! Please, don’t go.” You begged.

 

“I am sorry. I can’t stay, but while I will always keep you with me, in my heart, I need you to let me go. Promise me.” He whispered, his face centimetres from yours.

 

“Loki…”

 

“Promise me you stubborn woman.” He commanded urgently.

 

“I promise.” You said out loud, and finished the rest of your vow in your mind.

 

_I promise I will find my way back to you because no matter how long it might take, it is the furthest thing from a waste of my life. You are my life._

 

His hands cradled your face, millimetres away from your skin, the closest he would ever come to touching you again and goddamn it, it wasn’t enough.

 

“If I had but the time I would list all the ways you have saved me, the ways you brought light into my darkness, and I would list all the reasons I love you. But I have only a few seconds and were I to list all the reasons I love you would then we would be here until all the stars in the universe burned out.” He declared passionately.

 

His face was so close to yours, his lips a breath away from yours.

 

“I can do it in a sentence. I love you Loki, because you are you.”

 

And despite the horrific situation, he radiated with joy.

 

“Say it again.” He begged.  

 

“I love you.” You said vehemently, with more honesty and emotion than you had ever said anything before.

 

And then his lips were on yours and as the first shimmer of green shimmered over him, you closed your eyes and waited for the kiss that would never come. You kept your eyes closed because if you did you could imagine that that tingling feeling on your lips was real, because when you opened your eyes again it would be to an empty room.  

 

You kept your eyes closed but the tears fell from under your eyelids anyway as you crumpled to the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The comments, reblogs and messages you guys have left are the greatest thing ever. Seriously, I started off doing 2k word chapters but this was responded to so well I just lost myself in it and I now do like 4-5k word chapters. You have literally doubled my creativity. So thank you, from the bottom of my cold, twisted heart. 
> 
> I love you, all of you.


	20. Mind Games

It wasn’t the skyline he knew anymore, but the beating heart of the city was the same and he gazed out at it, letting the familiarity wash over him.

 

“You are nervous.” Wanda noted, slipping out of the glass doors to stand next to him on the balcony.

 

“She’s my friend and no matter how we try to justify it, I don’t like that we’re messing with her mind.” Bucky said bitterly.

 

“They are afraid of Loki and what he’s capable of.  If we can’t confirm she is acting of her own free will, that she hasn’t been preyed on by him, then they will lock her up. They’d be kind, they would probably just lock her in her room until they found a way to free her but we can avoid that. This is how we help her.” She assured him.

 

“I don’t know if this is the way to do it.” He admitted.

 

Messing with people’s minds, it was wrong. But if you had already been messed with, he had to try and save you. If you hadn’t… then he was doing the wrong thing. He just didn’t know what was the right thing to do, and it was affecting him.

 

“It won’t hurt her. I’m not invading her mind or taking over it, I’m not even betraying her privacy.” Wanda guaranteed.

 

“Think she’s going to see it that way?” Bucky asked.

 

“She won’t know. I’ll send a wave of my power through her mind, in one side and out the other. It should pass through uninhabited, if there’s no one else’s power in her.” Wanda explained.

 

“So you’re not picking apart her brain, you’re not going to look through her memories are change them?” He checked.

 

That… that wasn’t so bad.

 

“Think of it more as me using my powers on her brain and not her mind. They are not the same.” Wanda suggested.

 

“Yeah? Alright, I can do that.” He sighed.

 

He still didn’t like it, but he could do it.

 

“Sergeant Barnes I am detecting increased levels of anxiety in Felix though she remains asleep.” Friday informed him.

 

It took him a second to realise she was talking about you, since Stark had thought it would be hilarious to program the AI to cycle through an array of Cat related nicknames.

 

“We’re up. Be ready.” He told Wanda.

 

She nodded and he went back inside, making his way through the corridors to your room. Steve was waiting at the door of his own room and Bucky could hear the hushed voices of the other Avengers drifting out of the open door. He gave Steve one last look, one last chance to change his mind but the blonde man just looked back at him with a stoic expression that did nothing to hide the nervousness in his eyes.

 

Bucky raised his fist and knocked on your door.

 

~~~

 

_“You failed WarChylde.”_

 

The same nightmare, again. It was determined to haunt you into madness it would seem. You woke up on the floor of your room, to stiff to get up, too broken inside to care that someone was knocking at your door.

 

Unfortunately this was The Avengers, nobody here had any concept of personal space. Including you, and since you’d let yourself into Bucky’s room on more than one occasion, you couldn’t really bitch when he strode in to yours.

 

He took one look at you lying on the floor and sighed, scooping you up and depositing you gently on the bed.

 

“I asked Friday to let me know if you had a nightmare.” He said, sitting on the edge of the mattress.

 

“Remind me to adjust the privacy protocols.” You scoffed.

 

“Don’t be stubborn. Or hypocritical. You’ve helped me with mine in the past.” He reminded you.

 

You had been woken up by his yelling permeating through the walls on more than one occasion and if Steve wasn’t there or didn’t beat you to it, you’d wake Bucky up.

 

“I remember. I also remember that you rarely talked about them, at most you’d let me take you down to the gym or watch Netlix with you. So don’t try and tell me to open up to you Barnes.” You sighed.

 

“That’s fair. I’ll go get Steve, he can do the hot chocolate routine.” Bucky said, standing up.

 

Your hand shot out and grabbed the hem of his shirt, tugging him back onto the bed.

 

“Don’t tell him.” You begged.

 

You didn’t want Steve to come and break you down with his unyielding kindness and concern, you didn’t think you could handle it right now.

 

“Then start talking.” He bartered.

 

You glared at him but it was futile. He was Bucky Barnes, he could outglare anyone, it was his superpower.

 

“I went through some traumatic things and I’m having a hard time dealing with it. It’s to be expected, it’s not the first time it’s happened to me and it won’t be the last.”

 

“You think you can help us fight off the upcoming invasion you warned us about if you’re sleep deprived? You need to find a way to deal with it, and fast.” He warned.

 

“If there was a way to deal with emotional trauma in a day, you’d know about it. There isn’t anything I can do, I just need time.” You mumbled.

 

“You can try and rest, that’s important right now.” He pressured.

 

“I rested enough today, _somebody_ drugged me.” You sassed him.

 

“To stop you from hurting yourself, you’d have done the same thing.” He said without a shred of guilt.

 

You thumped your pillow, punching it into shape and rested your head on it, ignoring him. He sighed dramatically and pulled his phone out of his pocket, the light shining on his face as he unlocked it.

 

“What are you doing?” You asked in alarm as he typed something.

 

“Worried I’m alerting Cpatain Dad?” He teased.

 

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about.” You deadpanned.

 

“Relax, I text someone else. The better option.” He chuckled.

 

You squinted at him suspiciously and made a grab for his phone but he was too quick for you.

 

“Not a chance Hellcat, I’ve got sensitive material on here.” He quipped, shoving you away.

 

You slid across the bed, groaning in frustration.

 

“I’m not interested in who you’ve been sexting.” You said, screwing your nose up in disgust.

 

“Hey, respect your elders.” He admonished you.

 

“If everyone respected their elders then you’d be the most respected person in the world, Old Man.” You huffed.

 

“Oh is that how it is?”

 

“Apparently so, what you going to do about it Barnes?” You said petulantly.

 

You never found out what he was going to do because there was another knock at your door.

 

“Go away.” You called.

 

“Come in.” He said at the same time.

 

Wanda poked her head through the door with a questioning expression.

 

“Oh, _you_ can come in.” You said guiltily.

 

If you had known it was her you wouldn’t have told her to go away. A happy smile lit up her face and she walked inside, scooting onto the bed next to you.

 

“Bucky text me, he said you were having trouble sleeping?” She asked, peering at you with concern.

 

“You know, I can handle Steve doing it but I don’t need the whole team to start parenting me.” You said disapprovingly.

 

“We were worried and we missed you, allow us to coddle you just a little bit.” She teased, running her fingers through your hair.

 

Against your better instincts you leaned towards her and sighed softly as he pulled her fingers through the strands.

 

“Let Wanda work her magic and help you get a good nights rest. It’s not a permanent solution but it works wonders when you’re in desperate need.” Bucky suggested.

 

You forced yourself to go limp against her as her hand brushed against the braid behind your ear.

 

“I don’t know…” You mumbled.

 

“You don’t have to, it’s your choice.” Wanda assured you.

 

“Completely up to you.” Bucky agreed.

 

It was a tempting idea, and you might have gone for it if they hadn’t been so casual about it. Too casual.

 

“Alright, let me get a glass of water first though.” You sighed, getting up.

 

You walked straight past the bathroom door and yanked the bedroom door open, leaning on it and crossing your arms.

 

“Why are you all hiding? Come on in.” You shouted.

 

Wanda and Bucky exchanged a look as they realised they were caught and Steve’s door swung open. He was the first one out, coming towards you with a sheepish expression as the rest of the Avengers filed out behind him.

 

“Really?” You snapped when you saw that they were all armed.

 

“Kid…” Steve sighed.

 

“Don’t.” You snapped, pushing away from the door and storming through the room to stand by the window as they all walked in and situated themselves around the room.

 

“We needed to be sure you weren’t being controlled by Loki. If he took someone else you would be doing the same thing to them right now.” Clint said defensively.

 

“Really? Sure about that? I wouldn’t try and invade my friends mind on nothing more than a mere suspicion.” You argued.

 

“It’s more than that. You were gone for a week and you came back different. We did what we had to do because we care about you.” Bucky said.

 

“Et tu, Bucky?” You asked, shaking your head at him in disappointment.

 

“You’re secretive, emotionally unbalanced and strangely attached to Loki. You’re even talking like him.” Steve said exasperatedly.

 

“I’m attached to him because he’s my friend. I care about him!” You insisted.

 

“And you still want to tell us that Loki isn’t manipulating you?” Natasha asked.

 

“Forget about Loki, this isn’t about him.” You seethed.

 

“We can’t forget about Loki. Just because you trust him now, it doesn’t mean we can or will. He took over my mind and made me kill for him. He murdered people, he brought an army to this city, he left a wake of death and destruction in his path that changed everything.” Clint beseeched you calmly.

 

“The guys a bloodthirsty egomaniac. He’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants.” Tony added.

 

You groaned softly and let your head tump back against the glass.

 

“You’re right.” You whispered.

 

Loki was an egomaniac. But he wasn’t bloodthirsty, he wasn’t anything like the Loki you’d seen in reports and footage from the failed invasion. Ok, maybe a little similar. He was still larger than life and enigmatic but he wasn’t evil.

 

“He’s in a cell in Asgard and I doubt anyone’s going to let him out this time. He’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants and what he wanted, was me to live.” You said.

 

You faced Steve, imploring him to take a leap of faith with you, to believe you even if he didn’t believe Loki.

 

“You can’t tell me that you’re not even a little bit grateful for what Loki’s done. He’s the only reason we know Glahn-Betn is coming, and if I hadn’t messed with Loki’s plan then we’d have cut the head off the army before it ever got here. He saved my life, twice. He handed over the Tesseract to me without qualm. He should have left me on Asylum to die but he fought his way to me, he stood by my side even though he knew it was a fight we couldn’t win and he gave me the Tesseract so I could escape without him. I sent the Tesseract away Steve, I refused to run, and Loki had to give up everything to get me out of there alive.”

 

You were getting through to Steve, you could tell you were. The anger was draining out of him and he was speculating on everything you’d told him.

 

“There’s a _slight_ chance that he was trying to help Earth as a way to mend fences with his brother, to make amends for the things he’s done.” Steve admitted with a sigh.

 

“You don’t want to trust Loki, then don’t. We can argue about that until we’re blue in the face, but later. It doesn’t matter how we found out about Glahn-Betn it matters that we know. We need to take care of this problem.” You said diplomatically.

 

“So tell us everything. Start at the beginning.” Steve instructed.

 

You nodded and took in a deep breath before you launched into your story. Of course you left parts out, you didn’t tell them about all the little moments between you and Loki, the growing feelings you’d had for him.

 

But you told them about The Distillers Planet, how you’d tricked Loki and abandoned him before going back to save him. You told them how Loki had brought you back to Earth without you realizing it and how you’d followed him.

 

“I heard you scream.” Steve said tightly.

 

“I knew he was trying to leave me, and my leg was broken. I didn’t hear you until it was too late and honestly I kind of convinced myself I’d imagined it. It wasn’t easy for me to choose to stick with Loki but I had to do it.” You sighed.

 

He didn’t look completely happy about it but he nodded for you to continue.

 

You told them about Maarin and how you’d choked on your own blood before Loki gave you the anti-dote, how he’d forced you to rest and heal while he went off alone and how you’d gone looking for him, only to find him dying.

 

“Wait, Loki was dying?” Tony asked sharply.

 

“There was only one anti-dote and he used it on me. It’s why he left the Tesseract with me, so I’d have a chance of getting away if he died.” You explained.

 

“But he didn’t die, so how can you be sure it wasn’t a trick?”

 

“He didn’t die because I used the Tesseract to take him to safety. I was going to bring him here and beg Bruce to save him but when I picked up the Tesseract, it showed me a better option.” You said shiftily.

 

“It showed you?” Bruce asked, looking extremely interested.

 

“I think… I think in way, it’s alive.” You struggled to explain.

 

Tony and Bruce were looking at each other, having a silent conversation as they pondered that but everyone else was just staring at you.

 

Telling them about Clarius was the hardest part. You told them about Loki being saved and how you suggested you be the one to kill Glahn-Betn but you left out that Loki had taken you with that exact intention, and that he had a bounty on his head. You told them how you’d known they wouldn’t trust Loki but you’d decided that he was better served to help you with the mission than they were. You begged them to understand that you’d done the best you could with what you had.

 

“You knew that we would take Loki in and that it would waste time, might even alienate him from helping us. So you stayed with the source of the information.” Natasha summarised.

 

“Exactly.” You said gratefully.

 

“I can’t say you did the right thing, but it wasn’t the wrong choice. When the worlds at stake you do what you’ve got to do.” She concurred.

 

“Better the devil you know and all that jazz.” Clint added.

 

“We can talk about how you went about telling us another time, but I agree that your intentions were good.” Sam said.

 

“So you and Loki made a deal, what happened next?” Steve prodded.

 

“He trained me, so I was prepared for Glahn-Betn’s brutality. He needed me to be able to do what had be done without flinching, without thinking. We sparred, we trained, he made me smarter.” You shrugged.

 

And we fell in love, is what you didn’t say.

 

“Then you went after this Glahn-Betn?”

 

“I did. Loki couldn’t, it’s why he needed me. He took me to Asylum which by the way, is an actual Asylum. A planet for unwell people of the Galaxy, a safe place. Or it was. Now it’s a base for a terrifying army. I signed up as a recruit, they made me go through a truth field and I had to think on my feet, twist the truth a bit but I got in.” You said, swallowing the anxiety down.

 

You started pacing as you tried to find the words to tell them everything else.

 

“There was another recruit, Gun, he helped me blend in, made sure I didn’t get into any trouble. I managed to catch enough attention to be marked as someone with potential but not someone to be suspicious of.” You said, leaving a lot of holes in the story.

 

You killed other recruits, you murdered someone who was just trying to escape with their life. Natasha, Clint, even Bucky might understand why you’d done it, but Steve? He’d never look at you the same if he knew.

 

“And you got close enough to Glahn-Betn to try and kill him.” Natasha guessed.

 

“I got close, but not close enough. I was ordered to do something I couldn’t do. So I attacked him instead, I threw away the plan. But he saw me coming and he had his soldiers with him, they beat me in seconds. When Loki found out, he came after me and tried to extract me. He should have ran, if I failed he was supposed to run, but he came for me. I wasn’t good enough to fight Glahn-Betn one on one, he’s far too strong and fast, he’s brutal, he’s a killing machine and he… well I told you that part. You know how it ends.” You finished, sitting down heavily on the nearest chair.

 

“Ok, so you didn’t kill him. It’s not a complete loss, you still gained valuable information that we can use. How big is the army, how is it structured, what kind of resources and weapons do they have, how big is their fleet… We can still use what you learned to fight back.” Bucky comforted you.

 

“Is Gun still there, is there anyone else we can look at a potential ally?” Natasha asked you.

 

“Loki.” Steve answered quietly and you and everybody else looked at him in shock.

 

“I’m sorry, it sounds like you just suggested we can count on Loki as an ally.” Tony said in disbelief.

 

“He went back for her. There’s absolutely no way to spin that as Loki being self-serving. He tried to extract her when it went south and he got her out. I’m not ready to hold hands with him or say I trust him, but he’s as determined to stop this guy as we are. That makes him an ally.” Steve explained firmly, that Steve Rogers determination shining through.

 

“The enemy of my enemy…” Sam said.

 

“The enemy of my enemy is still our enemy and he will turn on us at the first chance he gets!” Tony insisted.

 

You looked at Steve with unabashed hope as Tony and Sam started squabbling.

 

“He didn’t turn one me, even though I would have deserved it. He saved my life, do you understand that? I was bleeding to death faster than I could heal it, I thought I was done for but Loki called for Heimdall and handed himself in without a fight in exchange for their healers keeping me alive.” You said, turning to stare Tony down.

 

“Look I like you, I’m really glad you’re not dead and if you want me to sign a thank-you card to send Loki in prison then fine. But I can’t forget that he tried to conquer the planet, he doesn’t get a pass on that because he’s trying to stop someobody else doing the same thing.” Tony snapped.

 

“You had to work with Loki, we get it. You trusted him and it paid off, but he’s imprisoned now and it’s what he deserves. He’s not our problem anymore.” Natasha shrugged.

 

“You did what you had to do and it’s over now.” Clint added softly.

 

“It’s not over, not for me.” You snapped.

 

“What are you saying Kit? You saying you want to get Loki out of Jail, have him come here and what, join The Avengers? Fight the army headed our way with us?” Tony asked derisively, rolling his eyes for good measure.

 

“Yes!” You exclaimed.

 

Steve took your hand, making you turn away from your stare-off with Tony.

 

“I am grateful that he saved you, I am. And I believe you when you say he’s not our enemy right now, I might even believe he could help us. But trying to talk Asgard into letting him go would take a long time and do you really think that Loki won’t do whatever he has to do to make sure he doesn’t go back? He’ll throw us under the bus and run off at the first chance he gets.” Sam said.

 

“Forget about Loki kid, it’s the right thing to do” Bucky whispered behind you, tugging affectionately at a strand of your hair.

 

Why did everyone want you to forget about Loki? Loki himself included.

 

“The right thing Bucky?” You scoffed, shoving yourself out of the chair and walking over to the window, looking out of it as you spoke.

 

“I nearly died, Loki nearly died and Glahn-Betn is still coming for Earth because I did _the right thing_. Loki had to sacrifice his freedom and possibly his life to undo all the damage I did. I screwed up and endangered everyone because I couldn’t kill one person, one person who died anyway. I was ordered to kill Gun, and I couldn’t do it. I let down everybody because I couldn’t kill someone, because I did the right thing.”

 

“Hero’s don’t get to make the easy choices.” Steve tried to comfort you.

 

“Maybe I don’t want to be a hero anymore Steve. Maybe I’m seeing the logic in doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. Maybe I care more about results than honour.” You scoffed.

 

“That is dangerously egotistical. You think what, that you know better? You could put yourself above the law?” Tony asked harshly.

 

“You refused to murder somebody, that isn’t a failing.” Steve insisted, ignoring everybody else in the room.

 

You looked around, taking it all in. Everyone was worried, though some hid it better than others. But Steve, he was the only one who wasn’t nervous, he was desperate. The Avengers could all see it, the change in you, the rigidity in your spine and the disillusionment in your eyes, they could tell you were standing on the edge of a cliff and about to hurl yourself off it. Steve just thought you were upset, he was standing far too close to see the dangerous terrain around him. His love for you was making him blind and it was making him stupid.

 

“I refused to murder a friend. I killed everybody else.” You said bitterly.

 

“What?” Steve asked, looking at you with a hard gaze and soft eyes.

 

“The only way into that god forsaken place is to kill another recruit. I killed two the second I was in the door. That’s how I got in. They put me in an Arena and made me fight for their entertainment and I slaughtered people Steve, I cut them all down while the crowds cheered for me. I didn’t even flinch.” You hissed.

 

His face paled as your confession rocked through them.

 

“You would have had to kill them anyway, when they came for Earth. They were always going to die, you just killed them to save everybody else.” Natasha said easily, not looking particularly shocked or disgusted.

 

“You make it sound so easy, but I can’t let it go, I can’t escape from it, It’s eating me up inside, even my dreams are taunting me!” You lamented.

 

Every time you closed your eyes you would re live your sins, the ones that had happened and the ones yet to pass.

 

“Because you’re not evil. You can’t brush if off because you’re a good person Kotyonok. But you did what you had to do and now you have to find a way to live with it.” She advised.

 

“This doesn’t change who you are Kitt.. Kiddo. You are still you inside, you are still a good person, you’re still a hero. Hell, being a hero is in your blood.” Sam joked compassionately.

 

“Having Steve’s blood doesn’t make me a hero, it’s my actions that count and…. And… ugh.” You whispered.

 

“Wanda…?” You held out your hand to her.

 

She looked taken aback, even as she took an automatic step towards you.

 

“Wanda… Please. I’m scared and I need you to help me prove that I am not being controlled, I need you to help me prepare everyone for what’s coming. I need you to tell them that I’m right to trust Loki, tell them he’s changed.” You implored.

 

She could tell them that Loki was on your side, that he wasn’t evil. But she would also know everything else, everything you were hiding, she would know that you loved him. It was a risk you had to take. They wouldn’t take your word for it, but they might take Wanda’s.

 

“You’re agreeing to let her test your mind?” Steve double-checked.

 

“I didn’t want you to know what I had done. Now you do so lets get this over with. Go through my memories, see it all.” You said as she took you hand and squeezed it comfortingly.

 

“This won’t hurt Sestra, I promise.” She assured before she pressed her fingers to your temple.

 

Then there was chaos.

 

The second the red wisps of her power hit you, something inexplicable happened and pressure built inside your core, radiating out of you. You doubled over as Wanda was blasted backwards, crashing into the wall and when you looked up, The Avengers had all jumped into action. You were staring down the barrel of several guns, Tony had a gauntlet aimed at you and Steve was standing in between you and Wanda looking petrified.

 

“Wanda? Wanda, I..” You gasped.

 

She stood up shakily but unharmed.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to.” You cried out.

 

You pulse was throbbing, creating a build-up of almost unbearable pressure in your arm and you looked down at it in wonder. The spiderweb-like pattern of veins on your arm were glowing, like a blue light was leaking out from under your skin through them.

 

“Your eyes.” Wanda whispered.

 

You looked at the window behind you, the solid night sky behind the glass turning it into a mirror so you could see your reflection clearly. Your irises were a solid blue, glowing and otherworldly, lines of blue electricity crackling from them.

 

“Kit, get on your knees and put your arms behind your head ok? It’s going to be ok.” Steve said calmly.

 

“I didn’t do it on purpose.” You pleaded.

 

“I believe you.” He assured.

 

“Loki’s cast a spell on you, let us take you somewhere safe while we get Strange here to help you ok?” Tony suggested tensely, but it just because he’d made it sound like a suggestion it didn’t change the fact that it was an order.

 

“What if I told you that it wasn’t Loki’s power that kept Wanda out of my head, it was mine?” You asked loudly, entranced by your reflection.

 

That shut everybody up and they all looked at you incredulously.

 

“Are you trying to tell me that you have magic?” Tony asked, half afraid.

 

“Not magic. Tesseract energy.” You elaborated, turning around.

 

It was clear now, what your nightmares had really meant. Sam had said it himself, it was in your blood.

 

_“The serum they injected into your heart essentially soaked up the serum in Steve’s blood and your body adapted, changed. Your basic DNA characteristics haven’t changed, you’re still you but you’ve soaked up the improvements that were in the Super-Soldier serum. I had to isolate the healing factor and manipulate it to allow you to survive the process.”  Bruce explained._

_“So, what the hell am I? A human sponge?”_

The serum in your blood made you soak up anything in your veins that could improve it.

You’d been focusing on the wrong part of the nightmare. Because it wasn’t just a nightmare.

 

_You glanced down slowly and saw the Tesseract in your hand, glowing and pulsating._

_“But I… Ow!” You gasped, dropping the Tesseract as it sent a wave of burning pain through your palm._

_It spun towards the ground and disappeared._

 

The Tesseract had burned away your flesh the first time you used it, but not once since then had you had so much as a twinge from using it. It had gotten into your bloodstream. You didn’t really know how it was possible, but it was. It had been there, inside you and you hadn’t known about it. Wanda’s powers had been the result of an Infinity Stone, she had awakened the dormant power in your veins.

 

You had absorbed the Tesseract Energy without realising it,  you were a source of pure Tesseract Energy.  

 

You could make Operation: Open Door work.

 

_You could open the door._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's such a relief to finally be able to implement that story, now I can move onto the fear and nerves as I wait to see how it's received by you... 
> 
> TALK TO ME! Did you like the chapter? Did you like that shock twist? What do you think it means? What's going to happen next?


	21. One Door Closes

The Avengers all started at you in varying degrees of shock and awe, tinged with fear, Fear of you or for you, you couldn’t be sure.

 

“How the hell is this possible?” Steve demanded tensely.

 

“I’m a human sponge.” You said to Bruce, looking him in the eye meaningfully.

 

“The serum… it was designed to absorb the super-soldier serum, not an Infinity Stone.” He said nervously, but you could almost see the gears turning in his head, the mental calculations, the scientific curiosity burning in him.

 

And you saw the pieces fall into place as he figured it out. His eyes darted between you and Steve as he weighed up warning everyone and Steve finding out the truth. Your hand twitched.

 

“She knows about Project: Open Door.” He said quickly.

 

The game was up, they knew what you were going to do, you had to run and you had to do it now.

 

You darted towards the door, trying to dodge the cloud of red magic you saw out of the corner of your eyes but shockingly, it hadn’t been aimed at you. You looked at across at Wanda, gobsamacked. She was holding back The Avengers.

 

“I saw enough before I was thrust out Sestra. I saw him save you, more than once.” She whispered before she turned back to the rest of the team.

 

“Loki isn’t the only one who once tried to do awful things before he changed. And he has changed. She is telling the truth.” She told them resolutely, releasing them.

 

You could have kissed her in that moment. You nearly did.

 

“Dad. Help me.” You implored, looking at him desperately.

 

“What’s Project: Open Door?” He asked through a clenched jaw.

 

“Opening the Tesseract from this side and going to it. I’m going to go and get it, from where _I sent it_.” You said.

 

“And what are you going to do with it?” He asked.

 

“I’m going to break into the dungeons of Asgard and break Loki out of them, and you can’t stop me. You can try, but you’ll fail. I’ll find a way to do it no matter how long it takes me so please, I am begging you, don’t try and stop me.”

 

“I can’t let you do this.” He sighed.

 

You steeled yourself to run.

 

“Alone.”  He added and hope flared up inside you.

 

Natasha shared a look with Clint before she holstered her gun and stepped up beside Steve.

 

“No, no way. Are you all insane? You want to rescue Loki?” Tony demanded.

 

“Most of us are here on a second chance Stark.” Natasha reminded him.

 

“Not all of us tried to, oh, I don’t know, destroy the world.” He snapped back.

 

“Some of us did. I worked with Ultron, and I was wrong. I have seen Loki in her mind and I am not making my choice on her perception of him but rather my own.” Wanda said softly.

 

Clint clenched his jaw, working it overtime as he had an internal argument.

 

“Sorry Kit, I won’t stop you but I won’t help you. I trust you and I trust Wanda, but Loki picked my brain apart like cotton candy, I can’t.” He sighed, stepping back.

 

You nodded apologetically at him, understanding his choice. He’d given you the best he could, a promise to stay out of it and you were happy with that. You loved Loki, you were on his side but that didn’t mean you didn’t think he owed Clint a hell of an explanation. It may not be enough, but Clint was still owed that at the very least.

 

“I don’t think I need to tell you that I’m on team Rogers.” Sam scoffed.

 

“Similarly, I think you have all gathered that I will trust Wanda’s assessment of this situation.” Vision added.

 

“So we’re just going to forgive and forget everything Loki did because Kit’s got a crush on him?” Tony snapped, seeing how your numbers were building.

 

Steve’s head snapped around to glare at Tony, and then back to you when you didn’t deny it. You shrugged and he looked at you slack-jawed.

 

“What? He’s pretty.” You smirked.

 

He looked like he was half-considering switching sides.

 

“Why is it whenever there’s a divide on this team, it’s me against a bull headed Rogers?” Tony asked.

 

“Well since you’re the only real constant in these scenarios, logic would dictate that you are the problematic factor.” You told him.

 

“Were you always this irritating or did that come with the blood transfusion?” He sassed back.

 

“It came with prolonged exposure to Tony Stark.” You sarked back.

 

“You know what you little… fine. Give me one good reason, a real one that isn’t he was nice to you or you think he’s dreamy, one reason I should even consider trusting Loki after everything he’s done.” Tony offered.

 

You had a reason, but you had no proof to back it up. Just a lingering suspicion in the back of your mind, a question you could never figure out a way to ask him.

 

“I think you are correct.” Wanda whispered.

 

She had seen it in your mind as well, the guilt in his eyes, the refusal to defend himself. The one time he didn’t have a snappy retort for you was when you had accused him of working with Glahn-Betn in exchange for dominion over Earth. Loki’s hatred of mortals felt like nothing more than empty words, one’s he could never back up with his actions. And maybe you were desperately clutching onto an explanation that would absolve him of guilt, maybe you were blinded by love but…

 

“Someone was controlling Loki the way he was controlling Clint.” You announced.

 

Everybody had a visceral reaction to that, none more so than Bucky and Clint.

 

“Oh he conveniently told you this did he? Poor Loki wasn’t to blame.” Tony snapped.

 

“He didn’t tell me. He’s never hinted at it at all. That’s how I know. Everything Loki has done, he had excused or defended. You’re right about him being egotistical, he needs me to know why he does what he does, he needs to know I think he’s right. But he won’t even look me in the eye when he talks about the invasion. And ask yourself this Tony, how did the 1000 year old god of tricks manage to do absolutely everything wrong? He masterminded his own defeat.” You told them.

 

You’d hinted to Thor, you’d wanted to scream it at Odin and now you revealed all of your suspicions to your family.

 

“He purposely unleashed the Hulk. He took Clint and gave him information but then sent him back to be rescued. He killed someone close enough to you to make you angry, but he didn’t kill Fury or Hill or any of you. Selvig had enough of his own mind left to add a failsafe. He made sure you knew exactly where he would stage the invasion from. He tried to use the sceptre on you as if there was a chance in hell he didn’t know about the reactor. He used an army that was brought down with a single nuke. One of those mistakes you could write off, but he executed dozens of them in perfect order. Hell I could stage a better invasion than that! You really believe that the god of Mischief couldn’t do better than a rookie?”

 

“You’re saying Loki set up the board so he would lose.” Bruce asked.

 

“I’m saying it’s the only explanation that makes a lick of sense.”

 

“Then why not tell anyone? His dad, his _brother_.” Clint asked.

 

“He set himself up as the Villain. Who was going to believe him after the fact? He knew nobody would believe him and he had too much pride to beg for mercy.” You explained frustratedly.

 

“So if it wasn’t Loki, you think it was Glahn-Betn?” Steve asked you.

 

“No… No Glahn-Betn wouldn’t send someone to conquer for him. He swings his own axe.” You said coldly.

 

You knew Glahn-Betn wasn’t behind this, but you didn’t know who was.

 

“It’s possible she’s right. I’m not saying she is, but the evidence is enough to make a case for it.” Bruce sighed.

 

“Really? You’re joining team Rogers as well?” Tony asked exasperatedly.

 

“I want answers Tony. Don’t you?” Bruce argued lightly.

 

Tony looked around, seeing that the tides had unquestionably turned in your favour. He sighed and shook his head exhaustedly before he pulled himself together and faced you down.

 

“Fine, go get your O’Malley, Duchess.” Tony told you in defeat.

 

The sweet elation of victory surged through you and you grinned brightly.

 

“I’m going to hug you now Tony.” You said seriously.

 

“Don’t make me change my mind, no, stop it, get off me, I’ll buy every pizza joint in the city and make sure they never serve you again.” He threatened as you pounced on him, even as he awkwardly patted your back.

 

You ignored him. You were too elated to care. You’d done it, you’d convinced them to give Loki a chance. They weren’t going to welcome him with open arms but you had gotten his foot in the door, given him a chance to prove to them who you knew he really was.

 

“Alright, that’s enough. Cap, control your child.” Tony grumbled, prising you off of him and reattaching you to Steve instead.

 

“We need to move quickly, there’s a very tall, absolutely stunning and wonderful man who’s probably already told Asgard I’m on my way.” You mumbled into Steve’s shoulder, figuring it couldn’t hurt to butter Heimdall up if he was listening.

 

“Alright, Buck, Sam, Natasha, Wanda, suit up and get ready. Bruce, Stark, go get this door ready. And don’t think we aren’t going to be talking about how you hid it from me later.” Steve ordered.

 

As Steve slipped into Captain mode, the atmosphere switched on a dime.

 

“Kid, you wanna go get your coat?” Steve asked you knowingly.

 

“Well I’m not storming Asgard in my pyjama’s.” You scoffed.

 

“You sure? You could wear those fluffy slippers? Nothing says badass like fluffy pink booties.” Sam quipped.

 

“You know what Samantha, it’ll still hurt when I kick your ass in them.” You warned.

 

“Lab in ten, everybody go.” Steve sighed, shoving Sam out of the door.

 

Steve was the last one out and turned to give you one last look before he left. It wasn’t the Captain staring at you with affection and nerves, it was your father.

 

“See you in a sec.” You whispered and he nodded at you and closed the door.

 

As soon as you were alone you let out a massive breath and bounced up and down on the spot.

 

“Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.” You muttered to yourself.

 

You raced into the bathroom and skidded to a halt before the mirror. The blue light was gone from your skin and your eyes, but you could still feel it thrumming under the surface. Now that Wanda had awakened the dormant power in your veins, it was swimming through you in the most noticeable way. It was like a cold fire in your veins and it felt _good_. If you had the time, you’d be a little afraid of what this meant but you had more important things to concerned with. Psychotic warlords, impending invasions and infinity stones could all wait, you had an Asgardian god of myth and legend to break out of prison.

 

What came after didn’t concern you right now, all that mattered was getting back to him, to your Mischief.

 

Six and a half minutes later you stalked out of your room having had the quickest rinse under the showerhead in history. Steve was waiting for you in the corridor, clad in his stealth suit and shield. His eyes were immediately drawn to the symbol on your chest, the bright colours contrasting sharply against the black leather. You’d taken a knife to the flap of fabric that hid it, cutting the barrier away so your allegiances could be worn proudly, like a badge of honour.

 

“So, where are we headed?” He asked briskly, falling into step besides you, all business.

 

“I can’t tell you where, someone might be listening.” You said, pointing at the ceiling.

 

“Then why announce you’re going to Asgard to break Loki out?”

 

“Because if Odin attacks me first I won’t have to feel guilty about punching him in his stupid smug face.” You muttered.

 

Steve gave you an extremely disapproving look.

 

“You’re telling me you’ve never punched a King in the face?” You asked with a smirk.

 

“What, no, of course not.” He spluttered.

 

“Good, this is how I set myself apart from you. You punch Nazi’s, I punch bad dads.” You sniggered, looking at him with mischief twinkling in your eyes.

 

“Guess I better not miss any birthdays then.” He grinned.

 

And then his grin dropped and you turned around to see what had him so spooked.

 

“Ah, Captain Rogers, I assume you were just on your way to call me and inform us that your little protegee has returned.” Secretary Ross said in his oh so slimy tone as he waltzed into the room.

 

“Secretary Ross.” Steve said stiffly.

 

You couldn’t catch a break. But if the UN was the last hurdle between you and Loki, they were about to find themselves in a very unpleasant situation.

 

“Glad to see you’re back on Earth Miss… what was your name again? Forgive me but people seem to have a strange habit of only ever referring to you by nicknames.” Ross asked.

 

“It’s a sign of affection, I’m guessing you don’t have many nicknames? Well, not that people call you to your face anyway.” You taunted.

 

He exhaled sharply through his nose and glared hatefully at you before he decided you were best ignored and turned to look at Steve.

 

“You were supposed to inform us the minute she returned, since she is the one with important information about the impending invasion you’ve been making so much noise about. Not to mention he knowledge of Loki.” Ross seethed.

 

“She arrived in a fragile state, we were letting her recover first.” Steve said protectively.

 

“Well she looks fine now, so she won’t mind coming with us.”

 

“Coming with you? Am I under arrest Ross?” You asked, bemused.

 

“Not yet.” He snapped.

 

“Oooh, big words from a little man.” You smirked.

 

Steve managed to hide his laugh behind an obviously fake cough. Tony didn’t even attempt to hide his.

 

“You were by your Captains own admission, collaborating with a known war criminal. The UN has some questions for you.” Ross said smugly.

 

“Very well secretay Ross, I’ll come with you. I guess we’ll just keep our fingers crossed that Loki doesn’t get to the Tesseract while you and your goons fail at intimidating me.” You said casually.

 

It was unlikely Loki would get to the Tesseract, even if he did it wouldn’t be a bad thing, but Ross didn’t know that.

 

“What?” He snapped.

 

“You don’t think I’d collaborate with a war criminal for no reason do you? My father taught me better than that.” You said teasingly.

 

“You know where the Tesseract is?” Ross asked, as if you hadn’t just implied that fact.

 

“You catch on quickly. And before you quote some bullshit section of the Accords at me, I can tell you where it is but unless you’ve mastered instantaneous space travel in the week I’ve been gone, the location isn’t going to do you much good.”

 

“But you have mastered it?” He asked in a hard voice.

 

“I’m a smart girl. So I’m going to go and get it before I come with you. Or… we can forget about the incredibly powerful weapon that Loki already used to try and mastermind an invasion once before…” You offered.

 

In your defence, you weren’t actually throwing Loki under the bus. You were stating facts and letting Ross make his own assumptions.

 

“And you expect me to believe that you are the only one who can do it?” Ross asked derisively.

 

“I’m the only person who knows it’s exact location, I’m also the only person with the genetic make-up to make the journey.” You explained.

 

You were getting really good at twisting the truth until it was in the shape you needed it to be, it was almost an art form really. Loki would be proud.

 

“I need to make some phonecalls before I sign off on this. You do not move, not an inch.” Ross ordered you.

 

“What if I need to pee?” You asked innocently.

 

He just sneered at you and walked away and started pacing in the nearest conference room, where he could still see you through the glass walls.

 

“Kiddo…”

 

“Yeah, this is a problem. I know.” You sighed.

 

“You could bring the Tesseract back, go answer Ross’s questions, fight with us. We can work out what to do about Loki after.” Steve suggested.

 

He knew it wasn’t going to play out like that, you could see it in his eyes.

 

“He said Odin wasn’t going to execute him, but he’s the god of lies, dad. I don’t think he’s above lying to spare my feelings.” You said, smiling sadly.

 

“So you’re not going to risk waiting.” Steve guessed, already resolved.

 

“No. And you can’t come with me. You need to make sure Earth is prepared because he IS coming for it, this world needs her heroes to be ready.”

 

“And you? If you do this, you might not be able to come back. Not as an Avenger.” He warned.

 

“I’m coming back, for you, for the team and to clear Loki’s name. With any luck, I’ll be coming back with Glahn-Betn’s head on a silver platter.”

 

“No. You tried that once and it didn’t work out. No more solo missions. You get Loki and bring him back so we can all work together to come up with a plan, we’ll keep you both hidden from Ross and we’ll deal with the UN after we deal with this threat.” Steve, no, Captain America ordered.

 

“Steve…”

 

“That wasn’t a suggestion. You asked us to trust you and we have, now it’s your turn to trust us.” He said over you.

 

It was fair. And it was the best option.

 

“Aye aye Captain.” You sighed.

 

“Good girl. I’m proud of you, you know that right?” He said gently.

 

“Didn’t actually, but it’s good to hear.” You quipped, unable to stop the pleased smile breaking free if you’d tried.

 

“Good. Now hit me, hard. And run.” He ordered.

 

You blinked at him as you processed what he had just said.  It was the only way to get away without raising Ross’s suspicions, or at least without Ross being able to accuse Steve of helping you.

 

“I love you.” You whispered.

 

“I love you too Kiddo.”

 

Your uppercut slammed under his jaw and sent him crashing back into the wall where he slumped to the floor. You hadn’t hit him quite _that_ hard, but Ross would be hard pressed to prove it. You turned around and you ran, ignoring Ross’s panicked yells behind you. You skidded around the corner and saw a small congregation of UN agents who were scrambling to react as they took in you running towards them and Ross screaming for your arrest behind you. You ran towards them without slowing down, running along the wall and leaping over their heads, landing on the other side of them lithely and bursting into the stairwell.

 

“Friday shut down all the elevators.” You ordered as you bent the door handle to stop anyone following you.

 

“You got it Mittens.” She said back.

 

You ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time and racing to the lab floors.

 

“Change of plans. Ross is behind me, I’m going alone and you’re going to have to ‘stop’ me.” You yelled as you burst into the lab, putting air quotes around the word stop.

 

Everybody leapt into action, taking up defensive positions around the room as you gaped at the sci-fi looking contraption in the back of the lab. It was a massive glass chamber, with what looked like an almost exact replica of a Stargate.

 

“Friday lock down Operation: Open Door, remove all access to the doorway for everyone except Kit.” Tony barked.

 

“On it boss.”

 

“Kit, go through there. Hit that button to lock the chamber behind you.” He said, shoving you through the glass doors into the chamber.

 

“It’s active, all you have to do is light it up. Tesseract energy goes into the rod.” Bruce explained quickly as you shut the door.

 

You looked where he was pointing. There was a lightning rod connected to wires that funnelled into the Stargate itself. It was so simple even a monkey could operate it.

 

All you, the monkey in question, had to do was light up the rod with a blast of pure Tesseract energy and step through the door. If Bruce and Tony’s calculations were correct, then you would walk out of the other side of the Tesseract and have to grab it and get to Asgard before Heimdall could nab you or the Infinity Stone. If they were wrong… god knows what would happen to you.

 

“Stop her!” Ross roared furiously, bursting into the lab with his men.

 

“Stand down Kit!” Steve said pompously.

 

“What’s going on? Kit said you sent her ahead to fire up the machine.” Natasha frowned at Steve.

 

“She is under arrest, detain her!” Ross barked.

 

“Friday, unlock the chamber and shut it down.” Bruce ordered.

 

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, all access has been revoked.” Friday said.

 

You grinned victoriously at Ross and saluted him sarcastically.

 

You turned your back on them as someone started banging half-heartedly on the glass. You could still feel it, ,the Tesseract energy under your skin but didn’t know how to call it forth.

 

Wanda was the only person you knew of to draw any kind of experience from and her powers were tied to her emotions, so you closed your eyes and pictured Loki, you let your love for him wash over you.

 

_~~~_

_“This is the second time in as many minutes that you have wrapped your legs around me. Is it possible that the Midgardians don’t hate me as much as I have been led to believe?” He asked with a wicked grin._

_“What can I say, you’re pretty, egotistical and an asshole. You’re just my type.” You quipped._

~~~

 

_He dipped his head until his lips were just a mere breath from yours and against your better instincts your eyes fluttered closed in anticipation. He whispered something against your lips, something you didn’t understand and a cool tingling started in your lips, spreading through your body like an electric shock. Your head felt clouded and heavy._

_Abruptly he released you. It was so sudden you almost fell over and scrambled to regain your balance as he turned on his heel and strode away._

_“There, now you needn’t worry about the communication barrier.” Loki said over his shoulder._

_“Wait, what?”_

_“Allspeak Kitten. You can understand and be understood by almost any being in the universe now.” He elaborated._

_~~~_

_“I trust you.” You told him._

_And you meant it. He had never hurt you, he had protected you._

_“You shouldn’t.” He warned._

_He bent down and scooped you into his arms, striding across the room with you and setting you down on the window ledge._

_There was no glass, just a gaping hole in the wall and the cold air hit your back, ruffling your hair. You turned your head to look out but he grabbed your jaw, forcing you to look at him. You didn’t know if this was some kind of twisted trust challenge or what. He gazed into your eyes, his own heavy with emotion that you couldn’t identify._

_“Thank you.” He said so softly you almost didn’t hear it._

_~~~_

_He had given you the only anti-dote he possessed and given you the way home in case he didn’t make it._

_Was this why he had tried to leave you on Earth? Had you killed him in your stubborn refusal to be left behind?_

_No. He wasn’t going to die. You would save him if it killed you._

_“Hold on Mischief, hold on for me ok?” You begged, scooting closer to him and wrapping an arm across his Torso, clutching onto him as tightly as you could._

_~~~_

_His grip tightened on you to the point it was becoming painful._

_“You chose me.” He whispered so quietly you barely heard it._

_He pulled you forwards and released your arms, wrapping his around you and for a moment you struggled against him. But the way his arms locked around you and his fingers rubbed soothing patterns into your back eventually made you go limp in his grasp and one arm slid down to your waist and help you against him as you knees gave out and he lowered you both gently to the ground, his lips whispering sweet assurances into your hair that you couldn’t quite hear over the sound of your sobs._

_You cried until your throat ached and your eyes stung and Loki’s arms were the only thing that stopped you from breaking completely apart._

_~~~_

_He kept his back to you as he sat still, unmoving as he watched the sky as well. But appearances could be deceiving because you felt something tickle your hand and when you looked down, his fingers were gently brushing your skin. You flipped your hand over, your palm facing skyward and he ceased his movements before he tentatively slid his hand into yours._

_~~~_

_“Thank you, for all of it, but especially for this.” You whispered, tapping your chest where the secret insignia was._

_“They would be proud, if they knew the truth about all this. They would be proud of all you have done and all you will yet do.” He said dismissively._

_You hoped he was right._

_“After all, you made an ally of one of their greatest foes. Without bloodshed, without fighting, you have defeated me.” He added with a sassy smirk._

_“Are you defeated, Mischief?”_

_“Without a doubt.” He said without hesitation._

_~~~_

_“Then you were supposed to flee! How could you be so STUPID?” You screamed at him._

_“Because you chose me! Because I have lost everything but I found you and if you are gone it is a loss I could not survive! Because I love you!” He screamed back._

_~~~_

_“If I had but the time I would list all the ways you have saved me, the ways you brought light into my darkness, and I would list all the reasons I love you. But I have only a few seconds and were I to list all the reasons I love you would then we would be here until all the stars in the universe burned out.” He declared passionately._

_His face was so close to yours, his lips a breath away from yours._

_“I can do it in a sentence. I love you Loki, because you are you.”_

_And despite the horrific situation, he radiated with joy._

_“Say it again.” He begged._

_“I love you.” You said vehemently, with more honesty and emotion than you had ever said anything before._

_And then his lips were on yours and as the first shimmer of green shimmered over him, you closed your eyes and waited for the kiss that would never come._

You opened your eyes, the shimmering blue light radiating from within you, leaking from your scars.

 

“I’m coming Mischief.” You whispered, raising your hand in front of you and wrapping your fingers around the lightning rod.

 

The power blasted through it and down, shooting alone the wires. The Stargate lit up as the Tesseract Energy powered it, the blue energy rippling through the metal arch until you were staring in awe at a pure sheet of Tesseract Energy.

 

All that was left to walk through it.

 

You looked over your shoulder at The Avengers who were all silently conveying their emotions to you as Ross stomped and screeched around them like an angry, ineffective toddler. You could see the love, the trust, the hope and the kinship in every one of their eyes. This was your family and they had backed your play, even though they couldn’t be sure you were right. They had put their faith in you even after you had put your faith in Loki.

 

So you had better make damn sure it payed off.

 

With one last smile, one last look in your fathers eyes, you turned around and walked into the unknown.

 

~~~Asgard~~~

 

He did not need his magic to know when he was being watched.

 

“To what do I owe the honour, Lady Sif?” He called out.

 

She emerged from the shadows and moved to stand in front of his cell, unabashed in her scrutiny of him.

 

“I never thought I would see the day that Loki fell in love.” She mused.

 

“Is that a hint of jealousy I detect, Lady Sif?”

 

Disbelief tempered with a hint of disgust flitted across her face and he chuckled.

 

“Oh not for me of course, I am not the brother you pine after so pathetically. But it must burn something terrible that I have found someone to love me, and you remain alone, cursed to linger in the shadows and fawn from a distance.” He taunted.

 

Of all the reactions he expected his words to illicit from her, a smile was not one of them.

 

“What a relief. I had started to worry that love had reduced you to a simpering fool. It is a relief to see you are the same old Loki.” She said.

 

“Why are you here Sif?” He snapped, bored with the conversation.

 

“To offer you a kindness you don’t deserve. She fought valiantly on your behalf, faced down Odin and only left Asgard because she knew Thor would be better served to defend you than she. She loves you Loki, truly. I won’t pretend to understand why, but she does.”

 

Her words were not a kindness, they were a sharp blade in his heart.

 

“You think I do not know the depth of her loyalty? You think I mistrusted her? Her soul radiates with so much light that she would loyally defend even the basest of creatures, I never doubted she would not turn on me. Do you truly think I do not know how undeserving I am of one as pure and kind-hearted as she?” He hissed.

 

Sif regarded him with something akin to respect.

 

“If you were unworthy of her love, you would not be in this cell. For the first time since I have know you Loki, you were utterly selfless. It seems to me that her loyalty was not freely given, but earned.” She said thoughtfully.

 

“Did you just pay me a compliment?” He asked in surprise.

 

“If you tell anyone, I’ll deny it.” She said quickly.

 

Sif was not one to offer compliments to anyone without cause, and never one to offer them to him. So why, after everything, had she come to visit him and offer one now?

 

“You liked her didn’t you?” He asked, knowing the answer would be yes.

 

“I did. But that is not why I am here Loki. All Thor has ever wanted for you is for everyone to see in you what he has always believed was there, but you stubbornly hid it away from us. For the first time Loki, I have seen a flash of what Thor see’s. I am here because you have finally given me hope that Thor is not quite the fool we proclaimed his as.”

 

The doors behind her were flung open and Thor himself strode through them, the Warriors Three and a bevy of guards behind him.

 

“What has happened?” Sif asked immediately, as the guards lined themselves up around his cell, and then turned their backs on him, facing outwards.

 

“Heimdall has alerted the Allfather that something is coming.” Hogun said, quite cheerfully.

 

Thor met Loki’s enquiring gaze with a jovial grin.

 

“It would seem there is about to be an attempted jail-break.” Thor boomed, shooting Loki a wink.

 

Loki reeled back at the implication, fear taking hold of his thundering heart.

 

_What are you playing at Kitten?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything's on the precipice of either going right, or going really wrong.   
> But Kitten's gon' go get her man!! We're rooting for you Kitten! 
> 
> Remember, Feedback makes Kara feel all tingly in her Author parts! So what did you think of The Avengers FINALLY starting to come around and Steve Rogers making a serious play for the Dad of the Year Award??
> 
> Lady Sif is the MVP, I stan her so hard. Can you tell?


	22. Another Door Opens

You were broken down to your atoms, the pieces pulled across the universe with force and velocity unlike anything you had ever had the displeasure of feeling before.

 

It _hurt_.

 

When you were made whole again and your body shoved into world, it still hurt. You hurtled onto the ground, your knee slamming into the dirt as you landed in a crouch, looking around at the familiar scenery. The stifling heat took your breath away as you shakily rose to your feet and surveyed the streams of molten lava and hidden gardens of the inner volcano.

 

You had made it, the Stargate had worked. Which meant…

 

You turned around and there it was, lying innocuously on the ground. The Tesseract.

 

Less innocuous was the residual Tesseract energy swirling above you. You had only skimmed through the files but you knew what this meant.

 

This volcano was about to blow.

 

“Shit!” You gasped, skidding along the ground to the Tesseract and snatching it up, holding it in front of you with a smirk.

 

“I know what you did to me you cheeky little minx.” You muttered at it.

 

Unsurprisingly it didn’t respond, you’d have probably dropped it if it did.

 

You needed to leave but… What would happen to Maarin? You’d unwittingly primed an explosion inside an active volcano, on a toxic planet. A toxic planet you were having no trouble breathing on. Loki had either been mistaken about the anti-dote not making you immune, or he’d lied. It was a question for later, right now you had to deal with the force you’d unleashed.

 

As far as you knew this planet was utterly void of life but that didn’t mean there wasn’t any lifeforms that had adapted to the poisonous air. And you didn’t know how big the planet was, how strong. There was a possibility that making this volcano erupt with Tesseract energy, Molten Lava and toxic plants could rip apart the crust of the Earth below you.

 

Loki would know. Loki would be able to tell you what to do. But Loki wasn’t here.

 

There was nothing you could do though, except hope that you hadn’t just destroyed this world. You had to go and leave Maarin to fend for itself.

 

The Tesseract flared to life in your hand and a twinge of pain shuddered through your arm. You winced and held your hand up, looking for an injury.

 

The tesseract energy above you swerved, moving through the air with your movements.

 

“No fucking way.” You whispered.

 

You slowly waved your arm to the right, and the energy followed. You moved your arm to the left and the same thing happened. You could manipulate it, you could _control_ it! You stood up and carefully controlled your breathing, concentrating fully on what you were about to attempt. Miles above you there was a pinprick of light, the gaping mouth of the volcano. You pushed your palm upwards softly, watching the Tesseract energy rising as you did. This could work, if you were careful. You lowered your hand and your fingers twitched in anticipation as you inhaled deeply.

 

And then you thrust your hand towards the sky, launching all the energy as you did. It shot upwards, shooting and swirling away from the heart of the volcano. Your aim left a lot to be desired as it blasted through several tons of rock but you had still succeeded. The explosive force erupted out of the volcano and into the air, where it (somewhat) harmlessly imploded.

 

A jubilant and disbelieving laugh flew free from you and you stood and watched the glorious explosion miles above you. Until pieces of the rock you’d broken off the top of the volcano crashed onto the ground around you.

 

“Shit.” You muttered again as a ginormous shard of stone hurtled towards the pool of Magma.

 

“Alright, time to go.” You told the Tesseract, willing it to take you to Asgard.

 

The last thing you saw of Maarin was the spray of molten lava as the rock crashed into the pool of it, and then you were looking at a familiar corridor in the golden palace of Asgard. You didn’t know where the dungeons were, so you’d gone to the room where you’d woken up. Now all you had to do was find Loki.

 

Dungeons meant going down, which meant finding stairs. How hard could it be?

 

And if you ran into some of Asgard finest on your way, god help them, because you would not be stopped, not when you were so close to getting to Loki.

 

~~~

 

Of _course_ he had fallen in love with you, how could he not? You were so damn foolish it was downright masochistic. You were going to end up in a cell as well, and he doubted Odin would be kind enough to make it the one next to his.

 

“Thor.”

 

The low tenor and urgency in his tone made Thor frown and scurry over immediately.

 

“She is your friend, is she not? She always spoke fondly of you.”

 

“She is dear to me brother. Not as dear as she is to you of course…” Thor teased.

 

“Then do not harm her. I have never begged you for anything but I will beg for this, let her go.” He pleaded.

 

“Loki…”

 

“She has a braid in her hair, there is a lock of my hair woven in. It is influencing her actions, she is innocent.” Loki said quickly.

 

The lie left a bitter taste in his mouth but it had to be told. Odin would be quick to believe him the monster and you the poor mortal he had darkened with his influence, and that would be enough to save you from the consequences.

 

“If that were true brother, you would not tell me. You would not beg for mercy for her, you would not beg for the chance to say goodbye. You love her Loki and she you, do not sully that with lies.” Thor said disapprovingly.

 

“But Odin will not think it a lie! He will forgive her and sent her home unharmed!” Loki said frantically.

 

“Loki… she has the Tesseract. We can not harm her, we can not stop her…” Thor said meaningfully.

 

He stumbled back in his shock as what Thor said sunk in. The Warriors Three smirked at him, but for perhaps the first time there was no hint of malice in it.

 

“I for one have no desire to risk life and limb against someone wielding an Infinity Stone.” Sif mused, catching on.

 

They were no cowards. They had fought worse odds, and won. Yet they would rather stand down than have this fight. They were _helping_ you.

 

He was never supposed to see you again, he had convinced himself of that. He had truly been foolish enough to believe that you would let him go. He’d been satisfied to spend the rest of his life in this cell, knowing that someone had once loved him, because even that was more than he deserved. But you weren’t satisfied at all, you hadn’t been able to wait two whole days before you found a way to cross the universe, collect the Tesseract and storm Asgard single-handedly. He had though himself doomed to this fate, believed that even those who claimed to care for him would sit back and let him suffer it. But you loved him enough to save him and his brother loved him enough to let you do it.

 

 You had allies in your cause, _he_ had allies.

 

“You think I would let you live out you days in this cell when you have finally become the man I always knew you to be?” Thor grinned widely, affectionately at him and stepped away from the cell to ‘defend’ it.

 

The seconds ticked by as the energy rose to palpable levels in the dungeons. And then, without warning the doors flew open with a thundering crash and you strode through them jauntily.

 

The first thing he saw wasn’t the Tesseract glowing in your hand, or the way your eyes desperately searched for him, it was the uncovered symbol on your chest, brazenly displayed. You had changed it, you had painted over the white A.

 

Green.

 

His colour. You had added his colour to the sigil on your chest that represented you, what you fought for, what was in your heart. You had proudly added him to your allegiances for the universe to see. You were telling anyone who looked at you that you were his, without a shred of shame.

 

Your eyes found his and it was like everything else blinked out of existence for him. There was no cell, no guard, just you and him. Just he and his love.

 

“Ever notice how they always put the attractive bad guys in glass prisons?” You asked him with a cocky grin, echoing your words from the last time you’d seen him in a cell.

 

That disbelieving laugh was pulled from him before he had a chance to stop it. Your eyes twinkled at the sound and the look you gave him was so filled with affection, with love.

 

“Have you come to gloat? To taunt me?” He asked mechanically, repeating his own words from that first time, playing along with your game.

 

“Nope, I’m here to rescue you.” You said victoriously.

 

The wave of emotions pulling him under were too strong, to intense to be fought.

 

“I love you.” Were the only words he could say, the only words he had.

 

Your joy was tangible, your smile blinding.  

 

“I love you Mischief.” You told him so softly, so sweetly.

 

He knew it was true, he knew and it elated him.

 

“My lady.” Thor said respectfully, infringing on the moment.

 

“Thor, good to see you buddy. Stay out of my way would you?” You asked cheerfully, barely turning to face him.

 

Thor chuckled and nodded.

 

“As you wish my friend.” He agreed easily.

 

“As you’re Crown Prince as Asgard and an Avenger, you should know this… The Avengers have agreed to allow Loki to come to Earth.” You told them, your eyes twinkling.

 

“What?” He asked in disbelief.

 

“New evidence has come to light that suggests that Loki may not be guilty of the crimes for which he was imprisoned. With that in mind, The Avengers have asked for his help with Glahn-Betn. They have offered to hide us both from the UN until the threat has been dealt with, and then they will help us clear our names.”

 

“Both of you?” Thor questioned with a frown.

 

“I may have possibly… metaphorically told the Secretary of State to go fuck himself by disobeying direct orders and resisting arrest. It’s equally possible that I am a fugitive.” You told them without a shred of shame, seeming all to proud of yourself.

 

“You did _what_?” Loki groaned.

 

“I left you alone for ONE DAY _!_ Norns woman, must you always get yourself in trouble?” He seethed.

 

It made sense, why you hadn’t yet used the Tesseract to come into his cell. You wanted the barrier in the way while you informed him that not only had you broke your promise to leave him, you’d done it in the most dramatic way possible. You’d risked your life, your freedom, and your place in your world to come for him.

 

“I got bored, had to make a little Mischief of my own. I thought you’d be proud.” You shrugged with an alluring and infuriating pout.

 

The Warriors Three all guffawed loudly, even Sif was having a hard time containing her smirk.

 

“She is perfect for you brother.” Thor said happily before his spine stiffened and he stood tall.

 

“Kitten…” Loki warned as Odin and his guard strode into the dungeons behind you.

 

You didn’t deign to turn around, utterly uncaring about the King of Asgard. You only had eyes for him, your gaze taking him in with love and worry as you reassured yourself that he was really there.

 

“You were shown mercy child, you were sent back to your world. You repay that kindness by coming here and breaking into the palace, by attempting to break out a prisoner.” Odin said, disappointment lacing his weary tone.

 

“Sorry your majesty but I kind of left something important behind, I had to come and get it.” You said without taking your eyes off his.

 

“Arrest her.” Odin ordered.

 

You rolled your eyes and turned around, holding your arms out as if to say ‘come and try’. A challenge all were hesitant to accept because of the Tesseract in your hand.

 

“Do I seem nervous to you? Faced down by the best of Asgards warriors and the Allfather himself, do I seem even a little bit worried? No? Because I’m holding an Infinity Stone and all you have… are swords.” You pointed out confidently.

 

“Thor, my son.” Odin sighed.

 

“The Lady is a fierce warrior father, I have fought by her side many times. I would hesitate to try and take her were she not in possession of the Tesseract.” Thor said diplomatically.  

 

Odin stepped forward, intent clear, he would do it himself.

 

“You could just let Loki out, save yourself a fight.” You offered.

 

“Hand over the Tesseract, and I may yet show you mercy.” Odin bartered.

 

“This thing? Sure, I’ll hand it over.” You smirked, tossing it in the air.

 

It spun upwards and disappeared, reappearing in his cell and dropping into his waiting palm. It happened so quickly that nobody had time to react until it was already in his grasp.

 

Sensing the urgency and the chance to take you, Odins soldiers surged forwards. He tightened his grip on the cube and narrowed his eyes, ready to go to you and grab you but you had given the Tesseract to him instead of coming into his cell and leaving with him. He knew you, he knew that despite what he said, you were no fool. If you were still out there, facing down Odin, then there was a reason.

 

And what a reason it was.

 

He was not the only one to gasp in shock as blue light lit you up from within. Sheer power radiated from you, highlighting what he had always seen, that you were someone to be feared. You were magnificent, terrifying and stunning in equal measure. And that had been _before_ you showed the literal power in you. All that had happened now was that it was clear for all to see, what Loki had always seen.

 

You were as much a goddess as any Asgardian claimed to be.

 

“You may have though it hubris when I said I would obliterate you Odin but it was a warning. A kindness, one you have done nothing to earn.” You said, your voice echoing through the dungeons.

 

“My Lady…” Thor whispered reverently.

 

“So Heimdall was right. You have absorbed the Tesseract.” Odin said.

 

Your blood. You had told him what was in your blood, how those ‘doctors’ had forced an elixir into your beating heart that made you absorb power. How had he not seen it? You had been burned by the Tesseract in what he thought was a consequence of overusing it. He had blamed himself, he had thought it was because you’d had to carry him through space as well. But it was no accident.

 

He glanced down at the Tesseract in his hand, all the puzzle pieces falling into place.

 

It had shown you a vision of where to go to save him, and then it had wilfully forced itself into your bloodstream, imbuing you with power. He didn’t understand was why but what he did know, was you were using that power to face down his father.  

 

“The only reason I have not attacked you is that your sons still love you. Loki has changed, it is not too late for you to do the same Odin. Become the father they deserve, or don’t. But if you ever come after Loki again, I will not as merciful as I was today.” You said coldly.

 

“You think I am afraid of you child? You may have power but that does not make you powerful.  Loki is of Asgard…” Odin stated to say.

 

“Loki is MINE!” You roared, wisps of blue smoke-like light filling the air around you.

 

As one, everyone took a large step back from the powder keg you had become, in fear.

 

“Loki is _mine_ and I will obliterate anyone who tries to take him away from me again.” You added, softer but just as firmly.

 

His heart swelled and a fire roared through his veins at not just your words, but the way you said them. So strong, so commanding, so _fierce_ , and all in defence of him. And how right you were, he was yours. He left his cell and reappeared by your side, unable to stay away any longer.

 

“Loki!” His father warned.

 

He ignored him, all he cared about was the way your body automatically turned to his and the way you grasped onto him, wrapping your arms around him and burying your face in his shoulder. Your hold was almost bruising and he doubted his own was any softer. The Tesseract was almost forgotten, held limply in his hand as his arms found their rightful place around you.

 

The last time he had truly held you, you had been dying. He had thought he would never have this again, he had really believed you could forget about him. He was so used to being cast out, forgotten, never fought for, he had never thought that it was even possible you would come back for him. He had asked for your promise so you would feel no guilt when you moved on, he had wanted to free you. But you were here to free him. His brother and all his warriors were stood aside, weapons undrawn and letting this happen.

 

He was lucky enough to be loved by you, that had been more than enough for him, but you actually loved him as much as he loved you. He would never be cast out into the cold again, he had someone who would go to the end of the universe and back to fight for him. You had told him you loved him, not in spite of who he was, but because of it. And he had not even been able kiss you. But nothing was standing in his way now, nothing would stop him, not even Odin.

 

He had everything he wanted and the most important thing in his universe was in his arms. He couldn’t have held himself back if he tried. His fingers were grasping so tightly at your hair it must have surely hurt and without thought of consequence he pulled you to him and his lips were crashing into yours. With a bruising kiss, he claimed you, his love. You were moving against him, holding him as tightly as you could and your lips were responding to his with fervour as you breathed life into him with your kiss.

 

Maybe it was his doing, maybe it was yours, maybe it was the Tesseract itself, but as his lips found yours and his soul melded with yours he could have not cared less about the blue light surrounded you both or the way you hurtled through space together. Where you landed, he did not know. Finding out would require pulling away from you.

 

And he would **_never_** be parted from you again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is a little late but I explained why on my Tumblr, but couldn't think of a way to let you guys know.   
> Had a busy day yesterday, had an appointment in the city which is a four hour train journey (Each way) so couldn't get a chapter out on time. 
> 
> I hope the content of this chapter makes up for its late arrival.


	23. Claimed

You barely registered the feeling of being whisked away by the Tesseract, it paled in comparison to the feel of Loki’s lips on yours. All you could bring yourself to acknowledge was that you were away from Asgard, he was safe, and you were free to lose yourself in his kiss.

 

And lose yourself you did.

 

He was demanding and possessive, his fingers tugging at your hair as his hand cradled your head, the Tesseract clattering to the floor as his other arm snaked around your waist. And his lips… god, _his lips_. Soft lips and a hard kiss, desire pouring from him and into you as his teeth captured your bottom lip, nipping harshly at it hard enough to draw blood before his tongue soothed the ache. He felt like ice under your touch but he burned like fire beneath your skin, lust and love coursing through you in equal measure.

 

Your heel hit the Tesseract, sending it skidding across whatever room you were in, as Loki walked you backwards until you were pressed against the wall. Trapped between the devil and a hard place. Your lungs were positively screaming for oxygen but nothing could make you tear yourself away from him.

 

Except he himself.

 

“Breathe.” He ordered in an impatient growl, pulling away from you.

 

You gasped and surged forwards, chasing his lips with your own and he didn’t even take the time to tease you for your neediness, he just gave you exactly what you so badly wanted. This time his kiss was softer, sweeter, less desperate and more appreciative.

 

“I love you.” He whispered into your mouth.

 

You broke away from him to stare up at him in wonder.

 

“That’s the first time you’ve said that when I’m not in danger of losing you.” You told him softly.

 

His fingers danced through your hair, pulling free of the strands so he could cup your cheek in his hand.

 

“I. Love. You.” He punctuated fervently, pulling you towards him and pressing his lips to yours again.

 

His hands slithered down your body and grasped the back of your thighs, easily lifting you into the air. You had no choice but to wrap your legs around his slender waist, feeling the power of his toned muscles as he spun around and strode across the room without breaking the kiss. He somehow kept you balanced with ease as he tugged your coat from your shoulders and left it discarded on the floor somewhere. There was a fog of desire and bliss over your mind as your back met with something soft, a mattress maybe, and your focus narrowed down to the feel of his hips digging into your inner thighs, his hair that your fingers had somehow ended up tangled in, his lips bruising against yours. When he pulled away you whimpered at the loss until he lightly brushed his lips along your jaw and tightened his grip in your hair to pull your head to the side, stretching your exposed neck out to him. The second his cold lips glided over your thundering pulse point your eyes rolled back in your head.

 

Your eyes were fluttered closed in bliss but you could still see flashes of the room you didn’t even want to try and focus on. The only reason you cared at all was the fact that covering the stone walls, there were rolls of green cloth, making what could have been a cold imposing room feel cosier and warm. The sheets of the bed you were pinned down on were of a similar shade, and there were shimmering golden gauze curtains fluttering in the breeze at the stone archway that led onto a balcony.

 

“Where?” You gasped, shivering as he found the tender spot on your neck and ran his tongue over it.

 

“Vanaheim, abandoned city of the Vanir.” He murmured into your skin.

 

“Why?” You murmured softly as he pinned your hands to the bed and laced his fingers with yours.

 

“It has been my secret sanctuary for eons, a place of peace.” He explained before his teeth lightly nipped at your throat, silencing your words and driving all coherent thought from your mind.

 

There was a low, filthy, guttural moan coming from your mouth and his hips ground into yours harshly, but before you could enjoy it he pulled away from you completely, leaving you cold and wanting.

 

“Tell me what it is you desire from me, Kitten.” He ordered heatedly from the end of the bed, looking down at you with barely restrained yearning.

 

How to put into words what you needed in that moment?

 

“Take me, make me yours, claim my body the way you claimed my heart.” You pleaded.

 

A low growl erupted from deep down in his chest and with a wicked glint in his eye he crawled along your body, his hands gliding along your skin as his magic shimmered under his fingertips, leaving you utterly bare and exposed beneath him. Goosebumps erupted on your skin but it wasn’t because of the slight breeze, it was the way Loki unabashedly let his eyes roam over every single exposed inch of you, caressing your nakedness with his gaze. If you didn’t know better you’d think he had used his magic to pin you in place, but it was the way he was looking at you that made you hesitant to move.

 

It was the way the wolf must have looked at Little Red riding Hood, like any hunter looked at it’s prey.

 

“Transcendent.” He whispered, hungrily drinking in the sight of your skin, running his fingers alone your calf in a barely there touch.

 

You were utterly passive and submissive to him as the overriding sense of lust roared through your body but it became too unbearable to contain. You needed him, you needed him so badly it was causing you physical pain and leaving your soul feeling empty.

 

“I need… I want… you.” You tried to explain, a growl of frustration tearing itself from you as you abandoned words and went for actions, pushing away from the mattress and flipping him so he was on his back.

 

You sat on your knees between his thighs and your hands pulled at his clothes, the sound of ripping materiel mingling with his laboured breathing. His head fell back against the pillow, his hair spread out against the green material like black wisps of smoke as you tossed his shredded clothes onto the floor distractedly.

 

Not even your wildest fantasies could have prepared you for the sheer majesty of him. He was all lean, toned muscles and pale marble skin, contrasting with midnight black hair. His rigidly hard cock as intimidating as the rest of him, so long and thick it had you swallowing your nerves down and clenching your thighs in anticipation.  If you had been wet before, you were positively soaked now, looking down at the god of mischief in all his glory, with his body crafted for sin and clad in nothing but a smirk that said he knew exactly what you were thinking.

 

He was beautiful _,_ he was divine, he was art.

 

“You have me Kitten, now what are you going to do with me?” He asked wickedly.

 

You put your hands on his shoulders and pulled your body into his, hovering above him and letting your lips brush against his.

 

“You’re my _god_ Mischief, I’m going to worship you.” You whispered, eliciting a groan from him as you drew your lips away from his and instead moved them to the hollow of his throat, flicking your tongue over his adams apple.

 

You kept your word. You ran your hands down his chest, fingers brushing against every inch of him, your lips following soon after. His skin was like silk, smooth and soft beneath your touch, but silk didn’t have a pulsing heartbeat, silk wouldn’t inhale sharply like Loki did. He trembled with the force of containing himself, whispering professions of love and uttering curses as your tongue traced the cleft of his chest. He tensed under you and sighed deeply as you tasted his skin,  moving further down his body, your fingers brushing over his hipbones, your nails gently scratching the sensitive skin.

 

When your breasts brushed against his groin, his cock twitched against your skin and there was a startlingly loud tearing sound. You glanced to the side in surprise, seeing the tear in the sheets where his hand was digging into the fabric. You inhaled sharply and looked up at him.

 

He was staring down at you with wild eyes, using every shred of self-restraint he possessed to stay pliant underneath you, but it was killing him to let you take control. Your mistake was allowing yourself to smirk at the wrecked look on his face because with that minute twitch of your lips, he snapped and let his impatience be known. Before you could even see him move, you were on your back looking up at him. He was pinning you down with one hand wrapped gently around your throat and the other hitching your thigh around his waist.

 

“I have waited a thousand years for you! I will not be denied any longer my love.” He snarled, pushing his hips between your thighs.

 

He caressed your neck softly before he traced his fingers across your skin, all the way down your body.  He dragged his cock through your folds, his eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks as your ample wetness coated him. Your soft, needy sighs had him leaning down to press his forehead against yours.

 

“Look at me.” He demanded and you quickly obliged, drowning in the love and desperation his gaze reflected back at you.

 

Had you been a normal human your bones would have cracked under his grip as his fingers dug into your hip, holding you in place as he thrust inside you, brutally claiming your body with his own. It was not tender or affectionate, it was desperate and frantic as he impaled you, pushing forwards until he was fully sheathed inside you and the scream of pleasure that tore from your throat was loud and inhuman as the primal grunt of satisfaction that came from his. He stilled against you, to let you adjust, to let himself adjust.

 

As big as he was, he felt bigger still while he was so deeply inside you. There was pain but it was a speck of water in an ocean of pleasure. The burn felt wonderous, they way he stretched your walls felt divine. He was pressed against every intimate spot inside you, his cock throbbing inside your tight, wet heat.

 

“I love you.” You whispered desperately, your nails digging into the trembling muscles of his shoulders as you clutched at him.

 

“Say it again.” He ordered, slowly pulling almost all the way out of you.

 

“I love you!”

 

He slammed back into you, drawing another scream of ecstasy from you which he drank down by sealing his lips to yours.

 

“I love you too Kitten, I love you.” He assured, resting his forearm beside your head and tightening his grip on your hip as he plunged his cock inside you again for the third time.

 

That was the last thrust you were able to count as he began fucking you in earnest. Every stroke, every thrust, rocked you to your core. This is what it was to be fucked by a god. His gaze burned into you, pinning you down, his eyes filled with wild, savage desire and love. So much love it was breath-taking, or maybe that was the way his hips snapped into yours. He fucked you with wild abandon, your hips meeting his thrust for thrust. Your hands scrabbled for purchase against his back, your nails drawing lines into his skin, deep enough to draw blood. Your thighs burned with the effort of keeping up with his inhuman pace and trembled as the pleasure ripped through you, building from your core and sending waves of ecstasy coursing through your blood.

 

One thrust of Loki’s cock inside you was more pleasurable than any orgasm you’d every had. He dragged across every sensitive inch of your inner walls, rubbing over that one wonderous spot with every thrust. The air echoed with the sounds of his skin slapping against yours, his heated whispers of love and praise, your constant moans of pleasure and cries of his name. He fucked you, thrust into you again and again, until both of your skin was slick with sweat and his muscles were trembling with the effort of holding himself back. The force of the pleasure inside you felt like it was going to rip you apart and when it could barely be contained anymore, when you thought it couldn’t build anymore, he let go of your hips and moved his hand to the apex of your thighs. His fingers slid along your slid, delving beneath your folds and gathering your wetness. He smoothly rubbed the swollen bundle of nerves, working your clit as skilfully as he worked the rest of your body.

 

“Let go for me Kitten.” He demanded, burying his head in your neck and pinning your hands above your head with one of his own.

 

His hips picked up their pace with renewed vigour as your body automatically obeyed his command. The floodgates burst open as a tsunami of sheer, undiluted ecstasy crashed through your body in wave after wave. He relentlessly fucked you through it, showing no mercy, reducing you to an incoherent mess. Pleasure was all you could feel and his name was the only thing you could remember as you screamed it. It felt like it lasted for eons, like you would look outside and see that all the stars had burned out, the universe had withered away while you had been coming undone for your lover. You almost came back to yourself, almost, but then his muscles clenched and his teeth sunk into your neck and his cock twitched inside you as he thrust as deeply into you as he could and when you felt the warmth of his seed as he came inside you, it made your eyes roll back in your head as you were pulled back under the ocean of shared pleasure.

 

It was all hazy after that. You were boneless, utterly satisfied and barely conscious. You could barely catch onto any of the scattered thoughts swimming about your mind but there was one that was unquestionable and unforgettable.

 

“Yours. I’m yours, Mischief.” You whispered to him, as his arms curled protectively around your limp body and your eyes fluttered closed.

 

“Mine.” Was the last thing you heard, the last point of awareness before you happily drifted away, knowing you were safe and anchored.

 

~~~

 

You were curled against him so snugly it was almost difficult to tell where you ended and he began. He could feel every beat of your heart against his chest, his own heart echoing back to yours in return. He lightly traced the near-invisible scars on your arm. He didn’t think you had even noticed the way they shone with power when he had you underneath him, coming undone for him. When you had screamed his name to the heavens and looked up at him with electric blue eyes, he had been awed and unafraid. There was so much power contained within you and he couldn’t begin to comprehend what it might mean, but it wasn’t high up on his list of priorities at that moment.

 

He had thought he had known what happiness was before but this was something else. Contentment. He was exactly where he wanted to be, with who he wanted to be with. The woman who was sleeping so easily in his arms was his love, and you were utterly, thoroughly, irrevocably his. You loved him as much as he loved you, desired him the way he desired you, cared for him more than he had ever thought possible.

 

 _“I have waited for you for a thousand years.”_ He had told you and it was true.

 

You were more than he could have dreamed, more perfect than his imagination would have been able to conjure but you were someone for him to love, someone to love him, to be his. Were it possible he would be satisfied to stay here in this room with you forever. But you wouldn’t be satisfied, you couldn’t be. And it wasn’t because he wasn’t enough for you, it was because everyone you loved was in danger.

 

He had blasted Glahn-Betn with his seiðr, but he wasn’t foolish enough to hope that meant the vicious dictator was dead. But he didn’t care what it took, he would make sure you were never that close to death again. He had trusted your Avengers would keep you safe but you had fled, you said that your family were prepared to shield you from the law though. So they were expecting your return, and apparently his own as well…

 

Very unwillingly he gently pried you off of him, silently morning the loss of your warmth against the perpetual chill of his skin. You made a noise of discomfort, unconsciously chastising him for leaving you. He slid a blanket over your skin, covering you regretfully.

 

He made his way onto the balcony, summoning his clothes as he walked and collecting the Tesseract from where it had been discarded on the floor.

 

“What did you do to her?” He whispered to it as he leant on the stone balcony overlooking the ruins of the citadel.

 

You were a mortal, a unique one, but still a mortal. He had already seen the effects an Infinity Stone could have one a human when the Aether had infected Thor’s lover. But you hadn’t been infected by The Tesseract, you had been changed by it on a molecular level. And with your enhanced healing capabilities, it was entirely possible that you wouldn’t be harmed by the change. But possibilities weren’t good enough, he wanted to be certain. He pondered the dozens of implications in the still of the night until eventually the slight rustling of cloth alerted him to your presence and sending the Tesseract away, he turned around to greet you.

 

You were wrapped in green cloth, your hair delightfully mussed and your eyes wide with curiosity and worry. He opened his arms for you and you didn’t hesitate to step into them, pressing your body against his.

 

“What’s wrong Mischief?” You asked him, sensing his melancholy mood.

 

He held you tight as he thought how to answer. There was so much to say, so much to discuss…

 

“You went back on your promise.” He finally whispered.

 

He was grateful for it, but he couldn’t help but worry at what it had cost you. It was what he had been afraid of, that you would suffer for him.

 

“No. You asked me to promise you, I did. It’s not my fault you didn’t know exactly what I was promising.” You told him, adorably pleased with yourself.

 

“You should have let me go.” He reprimanded.

 

You looked aghast, planting your hands into his chest and pushing away from him.

 

“I’m neither willing nor prepared to do that, Mischief.” You said in a hard tone.

 

“You’re a fugitive on your world, for me. You should have forgotten about me and moved on.” He argued.

 

“You think I _could_? Even if I wanted to, and I really don’t, I could never just move on from you.” You snapped.

 

He had offended you but that hadn’t been his intention. He never meant to imply that your love for him was fickle he just…

 

“What do you know of me? Of my childhood?” He asked you.

 

Your face fell. So you knew what he was asking, and you knew why.

 

“I know Odin adopted you, but he never told you that. You were raised as Thor’s brother but not…”

 

“Not his equal. I was not ‘adopted’, I was taken. Plucked off a frozen rock that my birth father left me to die on, saved by a man who raised me as a potential pawn and let me think he was raising me as a son. I said you should have abandoned me Kitten, not that I wanted you to. You would not have been the first person to abandon me but you would be the first I would have forgiven.” He sighed heavily.

 

“Mischief… I know you hate Odin, I don’t blame you and I’m not fond of him myself. He’s made so many mistakes, so many. But if you were really nothing more than a pawn to him, he wouldn’t have lied to you.” You said tentatively.

 

“What are you trying to say, Kitten?” He asked harshly.

 

“I’m saying he does love you, he does. He’s the King of Asgard, you really think he couldn’t have smote me down where I stood? Infinity powered or not, I’m no god. He let us go, whether he admits it or not, he could have tried a hell of a lot harder to stop us. You don’t tell that kind of lie for a thousand years just to play a game.” You elaborated.

 

“For all your ferocity, your heart is still so gentle. You see the best in everyone, even when it’s not there, I would ridicule you for being so naive if it weren’t this very trait that led us here.” He said sadly, gently brushing your hair from your face.

 

“Your father, for all his crimes, for all his idiocy, loves you. I don’t know if there’s hope for the two of you, that’s not my choice to make. I’ll support you whatever you do, but if he tries to come for you ever again… I _will_ make him regret it.” You vowed, and he didn’t doubt you.

 

“But you wouldn’t kill him.” He guessed.

 

“I’d beat the hell out of him and leave him bleeding in the dirt, but no, I wouldn’t kill him.” You sighed.

 

For everything Odin had done, you wanted him dead, that was clear. But he was Loki’s father, and Thor’s and so you would never kill him, you’d never really even hurt him unless he forced your hand. You would put your love above your hatred.

 

“You can believe what you want about him dear heart, but there is not a shred of love in his heart for me.” He said gently.

 

“You just don’t get it do you?” You scoffed.

 

“What?”

 

“How lovable you are.” You said vehemently.

 

You couldn’t comprehend that nobody saw him the way you did.  

 

“I am a difficult man to love.” He said diplomatically.

 

“No, you’re not. You’re a man who makes it difficult to love him, but not difficult to love.” You argued.

 

“Have I made it difficult for you?” He demanded, more desperately then he would have liked.  

 

“Loving you is damn easy Mischief. It’s beautiful and right, and feels good. You make me feel alive, you make my life more than what it was. And being loved _by_ you? It… it’s more than…” You had started so strong but faltered at the end of your statement, unable to choke out the words.

 

He had never seen you so overcome with emotion before, but what you couldn’t say with words, you said with actions. You surged forwards and pressed your lips to his, silently conveying all of that love that he knew filled your heart. He could never doubt it, when he could feel it. He accepted your love eagerly, responding to your kiss with equal passion.

 

“I love you.” You breathed the word against his lips.

 

“And I love you.” He swore.

 

“Mischief… About what I said in the dungeons, to Thor. I was telling the truth. You and I, we can go to Midgard. We should go, to help them.” You said, nervous energy thrumming through you.

 

“What did you do?” He asked lowly, with playful disappointment.

 

“I paved the way for you to earn their trust.” You told him, hiding your face in his shoulder.

 

“And how did you manage that Kitten?” He pushed.

 

“I told them what I believe to be the truth.” You muttered.

 

“And what truth is that? That I can be redeemed?” He asked with a hint of teasing.

 

“That you have nothing to redeem yourself for. You can help us beat back this invasion because you’ve done it once before…” You trailed off.

 

You couldn’t mean what he thought you did. There was no possible way…

 

“I told them that you fought off mind control to mastermind the Avengers Assembling, so they could defeat you.” You elaborated.

 

He swallowed the lump in his throat and forced himself to sneer and push you off of him so he could walk away.

 

“Is that what this is about? Your love for me? Because you believe I am innocent?” He raged, directing his words to the wind.

 

He couldn’t look at you.

 

“You want the truth? The awful, terrible truth? I wouldn’t stop loving you if you had really done it. I wouldn’t stop loving you if you turned around and attacked Earth tomorrow. I’d beg and plead for you not to do it, and I’d stop you if I had to, but I would still love you. I’m too deeply in love with you for it to ever be undone and my love is not conditional.” You said firmly, resolutely, unwavering in your love.

 

Your words tugged at his heartstrings, unravelling it and then rebuilding it, stronger and bigger. You would love him no matter what he did and you wouldn’t hold that affection over his head like a weapon. Only one other person had ever shown him that courtesy, only one person had taught him that kind of love existed.

 

“I know you love me as well. So turn around and look me in the eye when you answer my next question, and know that no matter what you answer, it doesn’t change how I feel. But I need to know Mischief, I need to know what I’m into.” You pleaded.

 

He turned around.

 

“Ask.” He whispered.

 

“Did you attack my planet of your own volition?” You asked him levelly.

 

Truth or lie? The truth was what you deserved, but the truth was painful.

 

“No.”

 

Painful for him. You didn’t look at him with pity, you didn’t push for an explanation, you gave him a look that told him you would be patient with him.

 

“Then that’s what we’re going to tell The Avengers. It was always what we were going to tell them, but we aren’t lying now.” You told him, biting your lip as you waited for his response.

 

“You would have deceived them?” He asked in surprise.

 

“If you _had_ done it, it wouldn’t change the fact that you aren’t that person anymore. I’d do whatever I had to, to make them see that, to make them see you.” You said determinedly.

 

Who he was… It was more than enough for you. You cared who he had been, but you refused to judge him on it. Norns, there was no limit to the size of your heart.

 

“So you want me to go to them and grovel?” He clarified.

 

“My plan is to go to Earth and fight back Glahn-Betn. You and I, and the Avengers, and the Inhumans, our combined forces can annihilate one madman and his army of soulless killers and unwilling prisoners. What I want is to win this war, to drive an axe through Glahn-Betn’s head, to put Ross in his godman place and when that’s all done, I want you. I want to be with you, freely. I want my family and my friends and you, I want it all. But what I want more than _a_ nything is for people to see you for what you are. You sacrificed your ego to save the world, you can sacrifice it to tell them the truth. They’ll believe you, they’re already halfway there.” You told him, hopefully and yet still timidly.

 

He was not Thor, he was nobodys hero, he never had been. But maybe… Maybe he could be a hero to you. And if you could give up your freedom to save him, he could give up his lies for you.

 

“Very well, Kitten. We shall go to Midgard.”  

 

The look of relief and pride on your face alone made the decision worth it.

 

“But…” He added, tugging at the blanket that was so rudely covering you from his gaze.

 

“Not yet.” He finished as it pooled to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Wiggles eyebrows*


	24. Run Kitten, Run

Glass crunched beneath your feet, slicing through your skin but it was ignored. Of all the injuries you were suffering right now, bloody feet were insignificant. Blood pumped out of your shoulder, soaking your body, and it just wouldn’t heal. There was something lodged in the wound, stopping it from healing. Burns and wounds littered your body, all trying to heal but impeded as you pushed your body as hard as you could, running faster than you ever had. Of all the precarious positions you had ever been in, this might be the worst. Your pursuers were right behind you, flashes of light from their weapons lighting up the air around you.

 

The _only_ way you would survive this was if you ran. If you stopped for even a split second, it was over. If you stopped running, you would be killed. And nobody was coming to save you, nobody was going to rescue you.

 

~~~Four Hours Earlier~~~

 

You traced the vivid imprint of Loki’s teeth adorning your inner thigh with a hint of sadness. Your enhanced healing had saved your life so many times and for that you were grateful but you wouldn’t complain if you got to wear his marks on your skin for a little longer. Then again, if you didn’t heal the way you did, he may not be as rough with you as he was. If you had been anything close to human, the things he’d done to you in the last hour would have broken you. But damn if you wouldn’t have enjoyed it anyway and still thanked him for the pleasure. As it was, you had left more than your fair share of marks on him as well. His back was a roadmap of your pleasure, your nails had left the trail. He hadn’t minded, in fact he’d enjoyed it.

 

_“Let me feel your claws, Kitten.”_

 

He snapped you out of your internal musings by wrapping his fingers around your wrist and tugging your hand out of the way so he could replace your fingers with his lips, gently kissing every fading bite mark or bruise on your inner thighs. As rough as he could be, as demanding and unyielding, there was always the overwhelming undercurrent of love. He would push you over the brink of pleasure and hold you tight while you came apart. He was a very generous and benevolent god.

 

“You are deep in thought my love.” He whispered disapprovingly from between your thighs.

 

“But I’m thinking about you…” You offered.

 

“I don’t want you to think about me, I want you to pay attention to me.” He said with a hint of sullenness.

 

“And you call me a brat.” You teased.

 

His eyes narrowed and the hairs on the back of your neck stood up on end. There was danger on the horizon…

 

“Did you just imply that I, Prince Loki of Asgard, the god of mischief and lies, am a _brat_?” He hissed.

 

“No?”

 

“So I misunderstood you, Kitten?” He checked.

 

“Yes.” You said confidently.

 

“So not a brat, but a fool.” He hummed.

 

“You… that’s entrapment! You set me up to fail, knowing I’m in a precarious position!” You gasped, utterly outraged.

 

You couldn’t think straight with the infamous silvertongued god resting between your legs, and he was deliberately toying with you.

 

“The perhaps you should alter your position.” He suggested.

 

He sat up, lounging on the edge of the mattress and looking at you challengingly before his lips curled up into the all too familiar smirk.

 

“Kneel.”

 

Your heart thumped so hard it felt like it was trying to beat it’s way out of your chest. Sometime you could forget Loki was a prince, but this was a stark reminder. He said it with such authority that you found yourself on your knees on the cold stone floor beside the bed before you fully registered what you were doing. There was almost a hint of surprise in his expression, like he hadn’t expected you to be so compliant, but it was overshadowed by the burning lust in his eyes as his pupils expanded.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty?” You purred up at him.

 

“Highness… Highness for Princes, Majesty Is for Kings.” He said with a hint of bitterness.

 

You rested your palms on his thighs and stretched your body up until your lips were a hairsbreadth from his.

 

“I know what I fucking said, Your Majesty.”

 

Loki had killed his birth father, making him the rightful King of Jotunheim. Thor didn’t even want the throne of Asgard and Odin couldn’t manage being an actual father, never mind the Allfather. As far as you were concerned, Loki _was_ King. It wasn’t his fault that nobody was wise enough to let him be one. If he had support instead of opposition, you knew he could be a damn good ruler. He was cunning, intelligent and tactical. He didn’t shy away from the hard decisions. And he’d been forgiving and kind with you when you betrayed him, he had been loyal when you had gotten yourself in trouble. Everything he had shown you of himself told you that he would be nothing short of spectacular as King.

 

“I know you Mischief, you’re a good man and one day, you will be a great King.” You said softly.

 

His hands closed around your upper arms and yanked you into his chest and his lips crashed into yours with startling ferocity. His hard length was pressed into your stomach and you could feel the thrumming of his pulse his blood quickened. Your words had pushed the playful side of him aside and brought forth the brutal and demanding possessive side. You dutifully parted your lips for him, granting his tongue access, which he took full advantage of, sharply hissing when your wrapped your hand around his cock. He pulled back a fraction to watch your face carefully as you slowly pumped your fist. You swiped your thumb over the smooth, sensitive head, gathering his precum on your skin before you slowly lifted your thumb to your lips and let your tongue dart out to lick it off.

 

He chuckled lowly at your brazen display and wrapped your hair around his fist, yanking your head so you were forced to maintain eye contact with him as he pushed you down.

 

There was something darker than just lust in his eyes, something primal and predatory, and it spurred you on as you leaned in to barely brush your lips against the base of his shaft, your breath fanning across the tender skin as the tip of your tongue traced the tick pulsing vein on the underside of his cock all the way up. You were teasing him and in so, you were playing with fire. He was the god and you the mortal, he the King and you his subject, you were the one on your knees but that didn’t mean that he had all the control. A fact that was evidenced by the way his adams apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly and his chest rose and fell rapidly.

 

A large part of you wanted to push your luck and see what he would do but ultimately, a larger part of you just wanted to feel him in your mouth. Wrapping your fingers around his shaft you swirled your tongue around his head, relishing in the smooth feel and the salty taste of him. He groaned softly and his eyes fluttered shut for the briefest of seconds but it was long enough for you to lean forwards and take him into your mouth without warning. His hips jerked as your mouth sunk down on him, until your lips met your fingers, your tongue curling around him as you hollowed your cheeks and sucked.

 

You kept your eyes on his, drinking in his reaction as you bobbed your head up and down, sucking and licking in unison you’re your jerking hand movements. He didn’t try to control your pace with his grip on your hair, though he was pulling at the strands harshly enough to let you know he could have if he wanted to. He simply watched, never once breaking eye contact, even as his breathing became shallower and his jaw clenched. You didn’t dare slow your pace, even when your jaw started to stiffen and ache, hell, you didn’t _want_ to stop. So it was infuriating when, with a sharp tug of your hair he pulled you off of him. You whimpered softly in disappointment as he stood up and bodily threw you onto the bed, your back slamming into the soft mattress.

 

“Wha… Oh!” You gasped.

 

He didn’t use his words to explain why he’d stopped you, he used his fingers. Prising your legs apart with his knee he lightly caressed your slit with his hand and smirked victoriously at you as his actions rendered you speechless. He was reminding you who had the power, reminding you that he could bring about your pleasure as well.

 

“So you enjoy kneeling for me. Kitten?” He mused, his fingers dragging through your folds and finding you astonishingly soaked.

 

You barely managed to breathe out a ‘yes’ as his thumb found your clitoris and brushed over it.

 

“So wet, so wanting, so… ready.” He purred, pushing two long slender fingers inside you.

 

Your back arched off bed as your spine bowed and he grabbed your thigh you pull you closer to the edge of the mattress, your legs hanging over the side as he stood between them and thrust his fingers into you. He knew exactly how to curl them to find your G-spot, knew exactly the pace and pressure he needed to use to drive you upwards into oblivion. With his thumb rubbing against your clit, you own wetness lubricating his machinations, and his fingers deep inside you, it was only a mtter of time before he had you gasping and writhing. The second you’d granted him access to your body, he’d begun memorizing how to work it, how to please you.

 

Or tease you.

 

He waited until you were right on the edge of your orgasm before he pulled his fingers out completely and brought them to his lips, slowly and deliberately making a hell of a show of sucking them into his mouth. You were mesmerized and he had you exactly where he wanted you.

 

“Shall I kneel for _you_ , Kitten? Or would you rather I fucked you? Tell me, how would you have your King serve you?” He asked, as if he would really let you have a say.

 

He’d pushed you too close to the edge and you were desperate to have that aching emptiness inside you filled. You were too lust-driven to give a damn about insignificant things like pride, and upper-hands.

 

“Fuck me.”

 

“Beg.” He commanded, sliding his palms along your inner thighs and spreading your legs wide.

 

“Fuck me, fuck me please. I need you inside me.” You pleaded.

 

He lined himself up and pushed inside you, one slow torturous inch at a time.

 

“You were made to be mine Kitten, made to be fucked by me, to be loved by me and only me.” He growled when he was fully sheathed inside you.

 

Even if you’d had the presence of mind to form a coherent sentence, you wouldn’t have argued with that.

 

“I’m yours.” You sighed happily.

 

Every time he pulled out of you it was a loss, and every time he thrust back in, it was a re-introduction to ecstasy.

 

You squeezed his hips with your thighs and in a muscle straining move, did a sit up with nothing to anchor you except his body. His arm wrapped around your waist as you grabbed onto his shoulders, both of you moaning in tandem as the new position pushed his cock deeper inside you. He didn’t need to move closer to the bed for balance or support, he held you up easily as you used your hold on his shoulders to pull yourself up before sinking back down on his shaft, breathlessly moaning all the while. Both of his hands slipped down to grab your ass as he snapped his hips to meet your thrusts. Your body was held so close to his that everytime you pulled yourself up the length of him and sunk back down, your clit rubbed against the hard muscles of his abdomen.

 

You kissed him deeply but with every sensitive, pleasurable spot being hit you were a mess and he greedily swallowed down every little whimper or moan you made, refusing to break the kiss. You could still taste the faint traces of yourself on his tongue as it danced with yours. His hands dug into your skin, leaving fingertip bruises on your cheeks and it felt divine. Every single thrust pushed you closer and closer to the edge until you were lost in the sensations and his hips were driving into you with a vigorous and frenzied pace.

 

“I… oh god…” You whimpered.

 

You felt him smirk against your lips. He didn’t need your warning, he knew your body. You knew he could feel the way your walls were beginning to flutter around him.

 

“Come for me then Kitten.” He drawled.

 

And by god did you obey. Your orgasm wracked through you. Maybe it was the fact that you’d been thoroughly fucked to your limit over the last few hours but the intensity of the pleasure coursing through your veins practically made you black out. You were dimly aware of the heat in your core as he spilled inside you, the strangled moan of your name passing from his lips and then everything went very, very fuzzy.

 

It seemed every time you blinked, you’d moved. You were on the bed for a moment and then you were safely ensconced in his arms and being lowered into warm water. You rested limply against his chest, basking in the afterglow as gradually, very gradually, your senses returned.

 

~~~

He watched you carefully as you slowly came back to yourself, consciousness returning to your senses.

 

“Do you need to sleep? To rest? To eat?” He asked, pressing his lips into your hair.

 

You lazily shook your head against his chest, running your hands through the water.

 

“Then what do you need?” He questioned, catching your hand in his own and lacing his fingers with yours.

 

“You. Just you.” You told him simply, tilting your head to look up at him.

 

“Have you not had me enough?” He teased.

 

He hadn’t had you enough, he doubted he ever would. He would be inside you at this very moment if he weren’t holding himself back. You may heal quickly, but you could still be exhausted.

 

“Never.” You cooed at him, eyes twinkling.

 

“Insatiable minx.” He whispered, pulling your hand out of the water and pressing it to his lips.

 

Your skin was so soft and warm it was addictive. He felt an uncontrollable urge to always be touching you, an urge he blessedly didn’t have to fight off because you happily accepted his affections.

 

 “We’ve stalled long enough though, right?” You sighed unhappily.

 

“Going to Midgard was your plan, Kitten.” He reminded you.

 

“Don’t logic me.” You huffed at him.

 

“What would you rather I do to you?” He asked lowly, his teeth nipping at your shoulder.

 

“Kiss me.” You demanded, turning around in the water so you were facing him.

 

A demand he was all to happy to submit to. His lips fell easily into place, moving effortlessly in tandem with yours. He regretfully and carefully pulled away when the warmth in his heart started to stoke the fire in his blood though. If he didn’t hold himself back then he would never get you home.

 

He'd carved out a sanctuary for himself in this abandoned castle centuries ago, and it had been his carefully guarded secret. A place to hide when Thor was being particularly boisterous or Odin was pushing him further into the shadows. It was a place for him and he’d never dreamed of sharing it, until now. He didn’t remember making the conscious decision to bring you here, he hadn’t questioned it until now because you so naturally fit. You _were_ his sanctuary, his peace, his shield from the pains of the world. And had he his way, the two of you might never leave. But time was running out. The universe outside these walls would not be ignored forever and this time when he left here, he was taking the sanctuary with him. When all this was over… he fully intended to steal you away. Until then, as difficult as it was, he needed to do what was right, he needed to do what you needed him to do.

 

You pouted unhappily at him which didn’t help his internal struggle at all but somehow he managed to coax you from the bath and set out to dress himself. He could have conjured his garments onto his body but even if he didn’t quite want to admit it, he was stalling, so he conjured them into a pile and slowly pulled them on. He grabbed for his shirt, frowning when it wasn’t there. He turned around, head cocked to the side when his suspicions were proven correct and he saw you standing in the middle of the room, the pilfered shirt adorning your body. Norn’s, you were really making it difficult for him to reign himself in.

 

“Kitten.” He called out but you didn’t respond.

 

“What are you doing?” He asked loudly, frowning at you.

 

You blinked and looked away from the spot on the balcony you’d been intently concentrating on.

 

“Nothing.”

 

He raised an eyebrow at you and gave you a look that clearly said he didn’t believe you.

 

“Iwastryingtoteleport.” You admitted with a hint of embarrassment.  

 

You were trying to…

 

“Because that’s what The Tesseract does.” He murmured.

 

“Well, yeah.” You shrugged.

 

“Kitten, you can’t move yourself through space. Whatever changes have occurred to you, they are new and unknown.” He sighed.

 

“I controlled the Tesseract energy that I caused when I opened it from Earth. I’m connected to it, I absorbed it. Reasonably I should be able to do more than be a fairly good nightlight.” You argued, your eyes going wide as something occurred to you.

 

“What?” He snapped.

 

That look on your face _never_ boded well. You looked at him and smiled softly, electric blue light shining from your eyes and you held your hand up, watching the way the it shone.

 

“Can’t teleport if the power isn’t switched on.” You explained.

 

“Kitten, don’t.” He warned.

 

He was nervous and didn’t try to hide it. You had never done anything like this, you needed to be careful, not rush headfirst into…

 

“WAIT!” He roared, diving forwards as blue mist swirled around you but his hands clutched at thin air, he had been a split second too slow.

 

He whirled around frantically, looking out at the balcony. The seconds passed by and you didn’t reappear. Pure, overwhelming fear gripped at his heart. You were gone.

 

He was going to kill you. As soon as he found you.

 

~~~

 

You might have gotten used to the Tesseract, but you were thoroughly not used to being sucked into the void of space by nothing but your own power. Your vision swam as you stumbled, your hip slamming painfully into what felt like a table. Loud noises assaulted your senses, fading into silence as you looked up, squinting.

 

A sea of shocked faces stared back at you.

 

Gradually, your braincells returned. You knew where you were and you knew you were an idiot. You’d been thinking about how it felt when you used The Tesseract, trying to recreate it, and your mind had drifted to the first time you had felt its power. Unconsciously, you had thought about The Distillers Planet, the first alien planet you had ever landed on. Unconsciously, you had dragged yourself through space, to Ceigerm-7.

 

“You!” Someone roared.

 

Warily you turned around to see who had spoken. You didn’t recognise them at all, but after a moment you recognised the gun they had pulled out and aimed at you. You glanced around at the crew of aliens who had attacked Loki on the rooftop, the one’s you had rescued him from.

 

You had managed to not only teleport into a tavern on an alien planet, you had landed right in front of a troop of Glahn-Betn’s men while you were extremely weak from using your powers, weaponless, defenceless, and half naked.  

 

“Well fuck.”

 

You didn’t have many options, so for perhaps the first time in your life, you took the smartest one. You dived aside and barrelled out of the door and you _ran_. They pursued, right on your heels. Something hit you in the back, some kind of long red metal shrapnel that burst out of the front of your shoulder, making you stumble.

 

Glass crunched beneath your feet, slicing through your skin but it was ignored. Of all the injuries you were suffering right now, bloody feet were insignificant. Blood pumped out of your shoulder, soaking your body, and it just wouldn’t heal. There was something lodged in the wound, stopping it from healing. Burns and wounds littered your body, all trying to heal but impeded as you pushed your body as hard as you could, running faster than you ever had. Of all the precarious positions you had ever been in, this might be the worst. Your pursuers were right behind you, flashes of light from their weapons lighting up the air around you.

 

The _only_ way you would survive this was if you ran. If you stopped for even a split second, it was over. If you stopped running, you would be killed. And nobody was coming to save you, nobody was going to rescue you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this from my bathroom floor. You know what's really difficult? Writing smut when you have food poisoning. 
> 
> I'd love to know what you though of this chapter, so send feedback? And possibly, a doctor? Please.


	25. Silent Treatment

You’d managed to effectively kidnap yourself and land in your enemies laps, while you had no pants on, so of fucking course you had then managed to run into a dead end. Of course.

 

Your limbs were trembling with over exertion and you hadn’t felt this weak since you were human, you didn’t know if you even _could_ teleport yourself but you were certain it would cost too much energy. You’d ducked down an alleyway in an attempt to find somewhere to hide and bide your time and instead you were trapped. You knew it and the Aliens who had you cornered knew it as well. One of them broke away from the others and prowled towards you.

 

“You killed some of my best men you know. I would want to personally extract Vengeance for that, but you’re worth more alive. You’ll fetch us a nice little profit but your tricky friend is worth a lot more.” He told you.

 

It wasn’t difficult to hear what he was implying. Hand over Loki and they’d forget about you. But if they were going to profit, that made them bounty hunters. You didn’t trust anyone who could be bought.  

 

“He’s on Vanaheim but he’s headed to Earth, to team up with that world and help kill your boss.” You said easily.

 

“You gave him up quickly. Too quickly.” He shook his head at you, unimpressed with your attempts.

 

“I’m not lying. I just know you’re never going to make it back to Glahn-Betn to tell him.” You smirked.

 

That seemed to tickle him and his goons joined in with his chuckling.

 

“Before you get too amused, answer one question for me. If Glahn-Betn has a bounty out for Loki, surely he has one out for one other person?” You asked lowly.

 

“He’ll pay for anyone he considers an enemy.” He said with an impassive shrug.

 

Your smirk deepened.

 

“And would he consider someone who infiltrated his army, tried to assassinate him and kept his prize out of his hands an enemy?” You questioned, moving closer to them.

 

His finger twitched on the trigger and you knew you were right.

 

“How much is WarChylde worth?” You asked.

 

He pulled the trigger, just like you’d been ready for. There were two dozen of them and only one of you, but you did have one advantage.

 

You knew how to use a shield.

 

You yanked on the leaders wrist and pulled him into your body, letting him take the brunt of the shots before his people realized what had happened. You send his corpse hurtling into them, like a macabre bowling ball, and pounced on them, using Natasha’s thighlock since without a gun, it was the most lethal weapon in your arsenal. Unfortunately the rapid movement and the spinning was too much for you and the edges of your vision went fuzzy. It was only instinct and blind luck that you managed to kill one of them before you fell to your knees on the ground.

 

“Any chance of a time out? I could do with an orange or a Gatorade or something.” You wheezed.

 

“WarChylde is worth more alive than dead, but your head is still worth a lot.” Someone snarled and you squinted up at him.

 

You were guessing he was quite fond of his boss because the hatred he was glaring at you with was definitely personal. He sneered at you, baring his teeth and then his eyes went wide and he grunted in pain. Blood spilled from his lips. You paused in confusion until he fell to the ground, a familiar dagger sticking out of his back.

 

“Mischief.” You breathed out in relief.

 

Loki stalked down the alleyway, not breaking stride as he cut through a half-dozen of your attackers as he made his way to you, leaving a trial of corpses and blood splatters in his wake. Out of the corner of your eye you saw something barrelling towards you and braced yourself but it never came, there was a blinding flash of green light and a lot of screaming instead. It lasted a split second and when it was over, the alley was silent but for your laboured breathing and Loki’s rushed footsteps.

 

“How did you find me?” You gasped as he knelt in front of you.

 

“You still have the braid.” He snapped, pulling you taut against his chest and wrapping his arm around you like a vice.

 

“Wait, give it to me. I know where we need to go.” You asked, holding your hand out expectantly.

 

He held your gaze for a moment, his eyes glittering with ire and worry but he eventually surrendered The Tesseract to you. It was almost a relief to feel it pull you away, to move across the universe by it’s power and not your own.

 

The bedroom you landed in was dark, faint traces of streetlight filtering in through a crack in the curtains. It was that sliver of light that lit up his pale skin and shone on the tense expression adorning his face. You could feel the tension radiating from him, filling the room, almost suffocating you. But he didn’t say a damn thing, just watched you with dark eyes as you uncovered a panel in the bedside cabinet to reveal a keypad and punched a code into it. When you groaned and made your way into the bathroom, squinting at the harsh light when you switched it on, he followed like a troubled shadow. Of all the ways you would expect Loki to express his anger, the silent treatment was a shock.

 

You gently prodded the hole in your shoulder, wincing when you felt something sharp scrape against your bone and a fresh spurt of blood leaked from the wound. A fraction of his anger dimmed and his worry grew as he rushed to your side, pulling your hands out of the way to inspect it for himself.

 

“There’s something in it, I need to get it out before the skin closes over it. It’s cutting me up from the inside.” You murmured.

 

He nodded wordlessly as you moved around him, turning the taps on, then he went back to silence while you found a washcloth and ran it under the tap. You winced, sticking tweezers into the open wound to try and dig out the leftover shrapnel until Loki held out his hand expectantly. You sighed and handed the tweezers over to him and with nimble hands and surgeon like precision he extracted the small sliver of metal from your wound and dropped it in the sink as you continued talking. Now that you were finally healing properly, you rubbed the damp cloth over your skin, scrubbing the blood away with vigour. You didn’t know what to say to him because you didn’t know what he was thinking.

 

Well… You knew he was thinking you were an idiot but you weren’t sure exactly how mad he was about it. His silence was more than unsettling, it was downright terrifying. Every single one of Loki’s emotions were worn on his sleeve and whether it be sadness, love, anger or joy they were all displayed with passion. So having him stand behind you and not say a word was leaving you unsure and afraid. You scrubbed harder at your skin, your nerves demanding an outlet. He didn’t like that, he snatched the cloth out of your hands so quickly it took you a second to figure out why your hand was empty while he waved his own hand, magically the blood from you and repairing your… _his_ shirt.

 

“Mischief, talk to me.” You whispered.

 

He dropped the washcloth into the sink, watching as it left pink splatters of bloody water on the porcelain basin.

 

“What were you thinking?” He snapped.

 

“That I could teleport.” You dead-panned.

 

“Not good enough Kitten. I told you not to do it, why didn’t you listen to me?” He pressed disgruntledly.

 

“Because I was trying to teleport a few feet away, not a few thousand lightyears.” You sighed.

 

“It was reckless and foolish.” He berated you.

 

“Have you met me?” You snorted.

 

He lightly pressed his fingers to your jaw and turned your head so you were looking up at him.

 

“You are reckless on occasion but rarely foolish so I’ll ask again. What were you thinking?” He pushed.

 

He’d dropped the anger and now he just seemed desperate to understand. Somehow, that was worse.

 

“I know about Gun. I know he was working for you.” You whispered.

 

He closed his eyes and sighed, guilt written across his face. Clearly, if you hadn’t found out on your own, he wouldn’t have brought it up. He hadn’t wanted you to know.

 

“I couldn’t kill him. He was kind to me. He was innocent. And not only did he die anyway, you and I nearly died as well. I thought I was dying, I really truly believed I was, but I survived and I nearly lost you forever because of it. The consequences of my actions aren’t over. Earths in danger and I thought…. The Tesseract is a weapon we can’t use against Glahn-Betn because we can’t risk it falling into his hands, but if I have it’s power, I can beat him this time. I don’t have to die knowing I failed and thinking you’re about to die with me.” You explained, growing frustrated by the dampness in your eyes.

 

You jerked your head out of Loki’s grip and turned around. Your reflection stared back at you from the bathroom mirror, eyes accusing and angry and you didn’t turn away because you deserved it.

 

“How in the fuck was I supposed to know this would happen? Using the Tesseract came naturally, of course I’m going to assume I could manage this. Of course I was going to **_try_** , it would be stupid if I didn’t. Because even if we win, there will be casualties and every single drop of blood spilled is on me. Not you, not Thor, not Steve or The Avengers, ME. If I can do this I can go straight to Glahn-Betn right now and teleport his head right off his fucking shoulders so you’re damn right I am being reckless and foolish. The time for playing it safe is over, I will be as reckless as I have to be if it means I get to kill that son of a bitch.” You seethed.

 

“We can’t win by being stupid.” Loki told your reflection.

 

“I was stupid when I disobeyed the UN. I was reckless when I jumped through a portal to a toxic planet. I was foolish when I walked into Asgard and deliberately pissed of the King of the nine realms. But guess what Mischief? All that payed off. The only reason you think I’m cunning is because all of my gambles usually work. I’ve been taking calculated but unnecessary risks since the day we met when I decided to thigh choke a god. Just because this one backfired it doesn’t mean I’m suddenly stupid, I’ve been stupid the whole time.” You smirked weakly. .

 

“You have never been stupid my love, rash and foolish and… brave. Never stupid.” He sighed, coming to stand behind you, hands soft gripping at your hips.

 

“It _did_ work though Mischief. I can teleport.” You said, trying to not sound too excited or pleased with yourself.

 

“You can. Your aim leaves a lot to be desired however.” He sassed, but it was forced.

 

“My aim was perfect, it’s my train of thought that needs work. I went where I was thinking about, not where I wanted to go. Which means The Tesseract isn’t exactly being passive when I use it, it’s been helping me even more than I originally realized.”

 

It had shown you where to go to save Loki, made you more powerful and now this. As strange as it was, you were starting to believe you might have made friends with an Infinity Stone.

 

“You weakened yourself. You were kneeling in that alley, about to lose a fight with a handful of thugs. I’ve seen you take on much worse odds without breaking a sweat, but they had you on the ground.” He hissed.

 

“Yeah, they did. Thankfully you came after me. Don’t think I’m not grateful for that by the way, because I am.” You said, bumping his shoulder with your head affectionately.

 

“Don’t change the subject.”

 

“Fine. You’re right, I kicked my own ass. It took a lot of energy out of me and it left me vulnerable. I don’t plan on doing it again without talking to Bruce and Tony, but I’m not sorry I tried. I had to try. If you’re in a fight and someone hands you sword, you’re going to try to swing it.” You sighed

 

“The fact you went where you were subconsciously thinking about is a good enough start. If you travel a shorter distance it should not cost you as much of your energy.” He sighed thoughtfully, mulling everything over.

 

“So you forgive me?” You asked hopefully.

 

“There is nothing to forgive. I don’t approve of your choice though, but I would rather make sure you didn’t come to harm than waste time arguing with you.”

 

“Because you know you’ll lose”

 

“Because know how stubborn you are.”

 

“Isn’t that why you love me”

 

“It’s one of the many, many reasons I suppose.”

 

“Where are we?” He asked.

 

“One of my safehouses. We’re in New York.” You told him.

 

 “This is your home?” Loki asked, sounded somewhat surprised and very curious.

 

“Kind of? It’s for emergencies and it’s only half mine. I share this one with Bucky.” You shrugged.

 

“You share a home with this… Bucky?” He snapped.

 

“I also have a place with Natasha in St Barts, a cabin with Sam in Canada, and Wanda and I have access to all but one of Steve’s safehouses. I have two of my own that nobody knows about. Combined, we have dozens of safehouses and boltholes all over the world. It’s safer to have overlap so someone can find you if you’re in trouble, it’s also a good idea to have secrets in case the team is ever compromised.” You explained calmly.

 

“How thorough.” He said with a hint of a bite in his tone.

 

“Sometimes I have to be a soldier, sometimes I have to be a spy. I was trained by both and there’s more to it than lying and target practice. For example, that security code I put in didn’t just turn off the silent alarm. Natasha just got a random text from a rival network supplier offering her a better deal on her phone contract. Looks harmless to anyone else but because there’s a 7 in the text, she knows I’m in Brooklyn.” You elaborated.

 

“So you are capable of intelligent thought and thinking things through?” He said sarcastically.

 

“On occasion, yes. Are you telling me that you never once made a mistake when you were learning all your magic stuff?” You asked with a smug look.

 

Everyone made mistakes, even Loki.

 

“No, because I was always careful and never jumped into it headfirst.” He rebutted calmly.

 

“Oh come on, not even once?” You asked in disbelief.

 

“No.”

 

He was lying, you knew he was because he looked like he was telling the truth. You narrowed your eyes at him and he met your gaze confidentially.

 

“Mischief…” You coaxed.

 

He sighed.

 

“I turned myself into a cat once when I was learning to shapeshift and I got stuck. I couldn’t turn back.” He admitted.

 

“What?! How long were you stuck??” You asked, gaping at him.

 

“A week.” He said sullenly.

 

“A WEEK!” You shrieked.

 

“I was a child!” He snapped.

 

“What did you do?” You sniggered, masking your amusement when he gave you a warning glare.

 

“Thor hid me in his chambers and had the servants tell our parents I was fine until I changed back.” He grouched.

 

“Your parents didn’t question not seeing you for a week?” You asked with a frown.

 

“Odin didn’t. Mother of course knew exactly what had happened but she knew I was embarrassed and allowed me to fix the problem myself.” He said, his eyes softening.

 

“Wait… Thor hid you in his chambers? For a week? While you were a cat? That’s fucking adorable.” You cooed.

 

“He held it over my head for years.” Loki insisted.

 

“Because you got stuck as a cat! I’m going to hold it over your head! A cat, with ears and whiskers and oh god, a TAIL!!” You sniggered.

 

“Thankfully I learned my lesson and my seiðr is now under control… _Kitten_.” He said meaningfully.

 

You froze up long enough to take in one large breath before you ducked under his arm and bolted. His ominous laugh chased you from the bathroom and you didn’t even have to turn around to know he was right on your heels.

 

“Mischief no! Don’t you dare!” You shrieked over your shoulder.

 

“Actions have consequences my darling. You laughed at my misfortune so now you’ll get to suffer it for yourself.” He warned menacingly.  

 

A bubble of laughter burst free from your chest as you felt him grab at your arm but miss and you ran down the hallway, still laughing. You stumbled the way into the living room and came to an abrupt halt, your laughter dying.

 

The Avengers were waiting for you, standing at the ready in the near darkness and all you could see was the wide-eyed shock on Steve Rogers face as he took in the sight of you wearing nothing but Loki’s shirt.

 

“Well, well. Looks like someone has been caught with their pants down. Or completely off.” Tony sarked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mischief, meet Captain Dad. 
> 
> And now everything has come together, Loki and Kitten are finally on Earth, together so we're in the final arc of the story, which means that I'll be wrapping the story up soon!


	26. Family Matters

It didn’t take long for the shock on Steve’s face to evolve into anger. He took one step towards you and you automatically took a step back, crashing into Loki who had been right behind you.

 

“Pants. I need pants.” You hissed frantically, reaching behind yourself to tug Loki’s sleeve.

 

You’d thought Steve was about to kill you but as it turns out, you were about to kill Loki. He brushed his hands along your arms in what was really a soothing gesture, but it didn’t look that way. You decided to let him live when he redressed you with his magic though.

 

At least you weren’t about to die without pants on. You looked around at the assembled group, noting that Wanda and Bucky were the two most likely to save you if your dad tried to kill you. Tony would probably help him and you had no idea what Sam would do. At least Clint and Nat were absent.

 

You knew for a fact that Loki had been controlled, there was no way Bucky wasn’t going to be on your side. Wanda knew everything you did, she had already proven she was on your side. Tony had only joined Team Let Him Explain begrudgingly and Steve… well, any good-will Steve had for Loki had been catapulted out of the window.

 

“So this was why you came to Loki’s defence? You were… he was… the two… you were both…” Steve sputtered angrily, gesturing tightly at you and your god.

 

“Fondueing?” Bucky supplied helpfully.

 

“Bucky, stop ‘helping’. Steve, I wasn’t doing anything with him when we saw each other last, the fondueing is… new.” You winced as you basically admitted to Steve that you were screwing Loki.

 

“Move.” Steve ordered you, his hard gaze on the man behind you.

 

You didn’t dare turn around to see what kind of expression was on Loki’s face, but truthfully you didn’t have to, you _knew_ he was being an ass. There was no way the god of mischief was going to be respectful and contrite.

 

“Alright everyone who _didn’t_ figure out I had a thing with Loki, put your hand up.” You snapped, looking around the room.

 

Steve’s face was priceless when not a single person put their hand in the air.

 

“You all knew?” He demanded, his feelings of betrayal clear to see on his face.

 

“You didn’t?” Tony snorted.

 

“I’ve changed my mind, we have to get off this planet.” You whispered under your breath.

 

“Captain…” Loki said loudly, stepping out from behind you.

 

Bucky and Sam managed to get in front of Steve before he could move and you forcibly yanked Loki back behind you.

 

“Bad Kitty, Stay.” You muttered, knowing you would pay for that comment later.

 

“Captain, I believe nobody told you because they assumed you already knew. Why would she risk her reputation, her freedom and her life to travel the universe and free me if not for love?” Loki said smoothly.

 

He said it so smoothly in fact, that for a split-second you thought he was trying to help. Then you realized what he’d said, at the same moment Steve registered it.

 

“LOVE?”

 

This was not how you would have chosen to break the news. You had hoped to maybe send Steve a text while you were at least 1000 miles away. Wanda tried to subtly shuffle over to you, freezing when Steve snapped his head around to glare at her. A glare that was legions softer than the one he’d given you, but it was still enough to make Wanda roll her eyes and come to stand next to you.

 

“She does love him and he did nothing to encourage or manipulate it. She fell on her own.” Wanda said confidently.

 

You could feel the curiosity radiating from Loki at her declaration.

 

“Alright Kit, for everyone’s sake I think you need to hand your boyfriend over so we can have a chat with him. A ‘why did you attack us’ talk, **_not_** a ‘what are your intentions with my daughter?’ talk.” Tony said, glaring pointedly at Steve.  

 

“He’s not my boyfriend. He’s a 1000-year-old god, he can’t be a _boyfriend_.” You insisted, your nose wrinkling.

 

“Oh I’m sorry, what word does one use to refer to the ex-homicidal maniac they are having a dangerous love affair with?” Sam asked, half-serious, half teasing.

 

“On Clarius I became her husband.” Loki supplied helpfully.

 

You shouldn’t have made the ‘bad kitty’ crack at him, you should have known his revenge would be spectacular.

 

“WHAT?” Steve roared.

 

The anger was instantaneous and burning. Behind it though, you could see that pain in his eyes. He really thought you’d eloped behind his back.

 

“No! No, he didn’t! I didn’t marry him, I swear. Mischief, shut the fuck up. Dad, let me explain.” You pleaded.

 

“You have about three seconds I think.” Bucky grunted, trying to hold Steve back.

 

“It was a joke, the locals thought we were married, there was no ceremony, none.” You said in a rush.

 

“What exactly made them think you were married? What did he do?” Steve snarled.

 

“I honestly can’t tell if this is the best day of my life or the worst.” Tony sighed, looking between you and Steve.

 

“Wanda, help.” You whimpered.

 

She took your hand in hers and squeezed it comfortingly.

 

“I have seen her memories, Steve. I saw it all, the deal they struck, the way he helped her and cared for her, her fear when he nearly died to save her. She does love him and you cannot change that. You already agreed to give him a chance, you can’t take it back just because she has feelings for him.” She said calmly, her strength shielding you and Loki.

 

Letting Wanda into your head had really paid off. She knew how you felt and she would fight to protect you both, she was just that kind of person. Loyal, brave and a romantic at heart.

 

“Bucky, Tony. Keep an eye on _him_.” Steve ordered, shrugging Bucky’s hold off and striding towards the door.

 

You didn’t need him to tell you that you were supposed to follow.

 

“Behave. Please.” You hissed at Loki.

 

He gave you the most innocent look and strolled over to an armchair, settling himself down on it like it was a Throne. Wanda squeezed your hand again, silently assuring you she would keep an eye on him for you. You threw one last warning look at Loki and followed your father outside.

 

~~~

 

“Alright Sabrina, twitch your nose and tell us if he can be trusted or not.” Stark ordered, gesturing to the young woman you had called Wanda.

 

The Scarlet Witch he believed was her moniker. From what he knew of her abilities he could guess that she was supposed to look into his mind.

 

“I cannot. His abilities fall under the same branch mine do, there’s nothing I can do.” She said, shaking her head.

 

Either the witch wasn’t as smart as she thought she was, or she was bending the truth. He was betting it was the latter since you had clung to her. You trusted her to help you and she trusted you enough to do it.

 

“She’s right. Even if she were to force her way into my mind without hurting herself, nothing she saw there could be trusted.” He said smoothly.

 

Stark didn’t like that but he wasn’t much concerned with the Man of Iron. His attention was on the metal armed soldier, ‘Bucky’. Bucky had taught you at least some of your skills, he owned a home with you, he was your fathers oldest friend and…

 

“Were you under mind control when you attacked New York.” The man in question asked coldly.

 

Loki fought his automatic instinct to lie, to keep his secrets close to his chest.

 

“Yes. I was. And no, I wasn’t. The Sceptre influenced my emotions, not my thoughts. I remembered being cast into oblivion by my brother and my anger was amplified. The truth was hidden from me, my memories twisted and I was blinded by hate.” He said bitterly.

 

“So you still knew what you were doing when you killed all those people?” Stark snapped.

 

“I figured out what I was doing and implemented a plan to have you stop me.” He rebutted.

 

“Tony… I almost helped Ultron destroy the world. By the time I realised what I had done it was almost too late and people still died. This, this is the same thing.” Wanda said mournfully.

 

So it wasn’t just friendship and loyalty that had prompted the little witch to take your cause on, it was guilt and perceived understanding of his situation.

 

“It’s not the same thing, you were only trying to right the wrongs done to you and when you realized you were being manipulated you swallowed your pride and your anger and came over to the right side.” Tony argued.

 

“Like Loki’s doing now?” Sam asked.

 

“Is he?” Tony snapped.

 

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.” Bucky said, tonelessly.

 

“How can I convince you?” Loki asked, smiling warmly at them.

 

If they wanted proof he could be an ally, then he would make them think he was a friend. He needed to get them on side, they were your family. He actually believed there was a chance you would choose him if it came down to it, but for once he didn’t want to have his ego soothed. He wanted you to have everything, him, your friends, your family, your world safe. If he could pass this test, it could pave the way to a future where you would have it all. And with you, he could have everything he wanted. He could be a hero, he could be his brothers equal, he could be his brothers… well brother. Saving Midgard would make both you and Thor happy and Odin would be proved wrong about him. It galled him that he had to prostrate himself before these hero’s but as long he remembered what he stood to gain, he could do it.

 

“You can start at the beginning. Tell us everything, and we’ll listen.” Sam said, sitting down on the sofa across from him.

 

The truth wasn’t his usual weapon of choice, but it was still a weapon. It didn’t matter if he used honesty to get what he wanted, as long as he got what he wanted.

 

~~~

 

Thankfully the driveway wasn’t visible from the street, so nobody walking past could see Captain America pacing up and down the gravel. You approached him cautiously, mindful of the fact that he was emotionally wounded and your position was precarious.

 

“Dad?” You called out softly.

 

“Look at you, trying to remind me how much I love you. Did you learn that from him?” He scoffed and shook his head at you, eyes shining with a sea of troubling emotions.

 

“Hey!” You snapped, more hurt than offended by the implication.

 

He had the grace to look regretful, he was upset but he didn’t mean to be cruel, you knew that.

 

“Is it true? Do you love him?” He whispered, choking the words out.

 

“I do. I didn’t mean for it to happen but I’m not sorry it did.” You told him truthfully.

 

“When were you going to tell me?” He asked.

 

“Never?”

 

He gave you a hard look that had you holding your hands up in surrender.

 

“Look at the way you’re reacting, can you blame me?” You pointed out.

 

“Kid, of all the people in the universe, why him?” Steve asked, desperately trying to understand.

 

“Because he’s beautiful and dangerous and everyone was so afraid of him. He was fascinating. And I thought if I could get the better of him, you would be impressed with me.” You admitted, starting at the beginning.

 

“Instead you got kidnapped.” He scoffed,

 

“I did. And I am so glad I did.  I was scared of offending someone, of meeting aliens but not being able to talk to them. He didn’t understand why I would want to talk to such lowly creatures. He could have scoffed and ignored me or he could have picked me apart and made me think I was a fool for caring but what he did, was support me. He gave me what I wanted without understanding why I wanted it. He didn’t need to know why I wanted what I did, all that mattered was that I wanted it.” You told your father, finally admitting your convoluted feelings to the one person you’d wanted to tell from the start.

 

“Evil people don’t do nice things unless they get something out of it, and he didn’t get anything out of it if he didn’t even understand it.” Steve sighed, understanding you.

 

“I’m not saying he’s completely innocent. I’m saying he’s complicated.” You said, smiling sadly.

 

He came over to you and up close you could see the deep lines of worry, the dark circles under his eyes, the exhaustion. You had put him through hell recently and now you’d swanned back, half-naked and giggling with someone he had a rough history with. Guilt stabbed you in the heart.

 

“I don’t care how complicated he is. I care that you love him and I want to know if he loves you as well.” Steve stated vehemently.

 

The guilt intensified. You were still his main concern, after everything.  

 

“Would you feel better if he did, or he didn’t?” You asked, studying him intently for his reaction.

 

“It doesn’t matter how I feel.” He sighed tiredly.

 

“He gave up his freedom for me. It’s one thing to risk your life for someone, but your freedom? I don’t doubt that he loves me.” You admitted.

 

“And you give me your word that he’s innocent? He’s not here to hurt us?”

 

“I give you my word.” You said easily.

 

“I’m worried, not just because it’s Loki, but…” He sighed heavily and steeled himself.

 

“I’m worried because you lie like Natasha, you adapt like Bucky, you care like Sam, you study like Bruce, you’re playful like Clint, sassy like Tony, gentle like Wanda and stubborn like me. I’m _worried_ because in the week you were away, you changed. You carried the weight of the world on your shoulders, you grew up. And it scares the hell out of me. All I want for you is you to be who you are, but I’m scared that one day I won’t know who that is.” He said softly.

 

Steve had basically just told you he was scared of what Loki’s influence would do to you. He might not have intended it or even realized he’d said it, but you heard the message lurking between the lines. Steve was afraid of a day coming a when you and he weren’t on the same side of the fight. Deep down your father was preparing himself to be on the opposite side of a battlefield from you and Loki.

 

You weren’t sure what pissed you off more. That he was still so hesitant to believe Loki wasn’t the bad guy, or that he thought you were impressionable and fickle enough to be led down that path yourself. But arguing with Steve wasn’t in your best interests right now, so you filed the anger away, locked it in a box and plastered a smile on your face.

 

“Then don’t push me away just because you don’t approve.” You said carefully.

 

“I don’t think I would approve of anybody, I hate that it’s him. But he’s not Romeo and you’re not Juliet, this isn’t going to end tragically because your family couldn’t let you make your own choices.” He said, mirroring your smile with one of his own.

 

He was playing the exact same game you were. Play along, don’t cause a rift, stay onside. You were both playing each other, and you both knew it but as long as you didn’t say it out loud then everything would be ok.

 

It didn’t matter. Once Glahn-Betn was dead then Steve would see that everything you said about Loki was true and he’d have to accept your love, instead of tactfully tolerating it.

 

“I hope you’re right about him, I really do, but I’m going to be watching him. He so much as thinks about betraying us and you won’t be able to save him.” He warned.

 

“Loki isn’t going to betray us, but the fact you think I would defend him if he did makes me think that you don’t know me at all. You need to stop thinking of me as the innocent girl who you saved all that time ago and remember who I am now. I might have changed up there amongst the stars but I am still an Avenger.” You declared.

 

Steve’s face lit up, his lips twisting up into a smug smile with a hint of sheepishness in it.

 

“And that’s what you were hoping I would say…” You sighed, rolling your eyes.

 

He chortled lightly and wrapped an arm around your shoulders, ignoring your petulant attempts to squirm away. You might be able to see through Loki’s bullshit, but your dad could still play you like a fiddle. Steve had known exactly what buttons to press to get you to snap.

 

“I hate you.” You mumbled, crossing your arms and refusing to hug him back.

 

“No, you don’t.” He said confidently.

 

“Fine, I tolerate you.” You offered.

 

“Try again.” He chuckled.

 

“You’re not going to let me go until I do, are you?” You bemoaned.

 

“Nope.”

 

“Fine. I love you.” You muttered, melting into the embrace.

 

“I love you too.” He said, heartfeltly.

 

“Does this mean you’re ok with me and Loki?” You chanced hopefully, slinging your arm around his waist as he led you back towards the house.

 

“Not even a little bit. I meant what I said, I’ll be watching him, we all will. We need him right now but if he so much as breathes wrong and I won’t hesitate to set Banner on him.” Steve warned.

 

As soon as you walked back into the living room you came to such an abrupt halt that only Steve’s arm around your shoulders stopped you toppling over. Everyone was sat around the dining room table, doing the absolute last thing you’d expected.

 

“Why are you playing boardgames???”

 

“War council.” Bucky said, moving a Monopoly piece across the table towards Loki.

 

“Beg your pardon?” You asked, sharing a look of confusion with Steve.

 

“Starks went back to the Tower to get everything we might need. We’re setting up base here since the happy couple can’t step foot in public without the UN descending on them. In the meantime, your man is getting us up to speed on the enemy.” Sam summarised.

 

“That explains _nothing_!” You insisted.

 

“I’m still confused.” Steve said at the same time.

 

“He passed.” Bucky explained, nodding at Steve and Wanda shot you a thumbs up.

 

You and Steve looked at each other, sighing in exasperation.

 

“WW2, battle strategy, we’re improvising with board game pieces until Stark gets back.” Bucky told Steve.

 

Somehow, that made sense to him, you were still lost.

 

“Game of Thrones, this is our battle board.” Sam explained to you.

 

“Ohhh.”

 

Now you got it. The board pieces signified the enemies armies and your resources.

 

“So, is everything ok with…” Sam asked, waving his hand between you and Steve.

 

“For now.” You said in unison.

 

You smiled softly at Loki so he knew everything was alright. You felt like a massive weight had been lifted from your shoulders, seeing him interacting with your family the way he was and having him and Steve in the same room without bloodshed. Maybe everything would work out in the end after all.

 

“So should I call you dad?” Loki asked Steve mischievously. 

 

Or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 100k words baby!!!!!!!! WE DID IT!


	27. Adjustment Period

“Dad…”

 

“Don’t.” Steve snapped.

 

“Don’t you think you may be overreacting?”

 

“It’s one thing coming from you, but Bucky?” Steve seethed.

 

“I doubt Bucky has the same intentions with Loki that I do.” You snorted.

 

“What intentions would they be?” He asked, staring you down.

 

“Innocent ones?” You tried, batting your eyelashes at him.

 

“You’ve never been innocent a day in your damn life.” Tony snorted as he wandered over.

 

“Speaking of, how wanted am I? Is it public knowledge?” You asked.

 

“It’s not public knowledge yet, they don’t want the bad press, but… You are now classed as a Global Terrorist.” Steve sighed.

 

“Shit.” You exclaimed, letting out a low whistle.

 

“Be honest, how proud are you that your little girl is all grown up and defying the government?” You asked Steve with a smirk.

 

“You do know you could have probably gotten a pony out of this if you didn’t start shacking up with Severus Snape, right?” Tony pointed out to you.

 

“You do know that the guy I’m shacking up with is a Prince, with magic powers? If I asked him for a pony he’d probably get me a unicorn.” You rebutted.

 

“You hear that Steve? Kit’s got a new daddy.” Tony smirked.

 

“That’s enough Tony. You’re dangerously close to crossing a line.” Steve snapped.

 

“Well maybe if someone would give me attention I wouldn’t have to act out.” He retorted.

 

To be fair to Tony he had flown back to the safehouse with a mountain of tech and had just finished setting the house up. Friday now had access to your temporary home and as a result, you could access all The Avengers systems. Including satellites, communications, simulations and anything else that would help you plan your defence against Glahn-Betn.

 

“Wait, if I’m a terrorist does that mean I can’t order a pizza?” You asked in concern.

 

“Glad to see your priorities haven’t changed.” Clint sarked and you looked up as he walked into the room with Natasha.

 

They had been called in as soon as Loki had passed Tony and Bucky’s trust test. Clint had his arms crossed and murder face on, Natasha was as unreadable as ever.

 

“I brought you some clothes since you seem to have trouble keeping them on.” She said, throwing a duffle bag at you.

 

“God, does everyone know about that?” You sighed.

 

“Where is he?” Clint said testily.

 

Wanda and Sam sniggered.

 

“He’s in the garden.” You said, trying not to laugh.

 

“What are we missing here?” Natasha asked, noticing everybody’s reactions.  

 

“Ask us what he’s doing in the garden.” Sam grinned.

 

“He’s comparing knife-throwing skills with Bucky!” Steve snapped, throwing his hands in the air in frustration.

 

“Cap thinks it means they’re bonding but the rest of us know it’s just a dick measuring contest.” Sam scoffed.

 

“If they wanna know that, they should just ask Kit.” Natasha shrugged lithely.

 

Steve went from mildly annoyed and disgusted to vibrating with the force of his anger, his eyes burning holes in you.

 

“I have NEVER seen Bucky naked!” You insisted, throwing your hands up in surrender.

 

“Ahem.”

 

You sighed and looked behind you, knowing exactly what to expect. Sure enough, Bucky and Loki were standing at the door. Someone up there really liked seeing you squirm.

 

“Did you want to see me naked?” Bucky asked, amusement colouring his tone.

 

“Buck! That’s my daughter!” Steve exclaimed.

 

“It’s me or the ancient Norse god of trickery.” Bucky scoffed.

 

“A decision that has already been made.” Loki reminded you softly, walking over to you and putting a possessive arm around your waist.

 

“I wouldn’t go back on it even if I could.” You announced.

 

You knew your words were like a slap in the face for Steve but while all anybody could see was the way Loki’s arm was wrapped around you like a claim, you could feel the tightness of his grip. You didn’t say it to hurt Steve, you said it to reassure Loki. Because Loki might be winding everyone up, but he was still here and he was still playing as nice as he could. And Clint was staring at him like he was vividly imagining all the most painful way he could kill him.

 

“I don’t blame you. If Barnes was on the table, I’d buy a new table.” Sam sniggered.

 

You threw a grateful look at Sam and he slyly winked at you. He might not know why you were doing what you did but he was still trying to defuse the tensions running rampant through the room.

 

“You’d be lucky to have me on any kind of surface.” Bucky shot back.

 

“Did you say you wanted Pizza?” Steve asked you pointedly, cutting across the bickering match about to break out.

 

You nodded eagerly.  

 

“Great, I’ll go get it.” He said, making a quick escape from the room.

 

You may have pushed Steve to his breaking point, but you didn’t know what the hell to do about it.

 

“Hey Mischief, what are the chances of me getting like, a unicorn?”

 

~~~

 

He didn’t need to go out just to get a pizza and he certainly didn’t need to walk several blocks to go and get it. He did need to air though. The second Loki had wrapped an arm around your waist the room had shrunk. Then you leaned into the embrace so easily, like you’d done it a thousand times before and all the oxygen had been sucked out of the shrinking room.

 

He wasn’t supposed to be a father. He definitely wasn’t supposed to acquire a fully grown, adult daughter. It had happened overnight and yet it had still somehow snuck up on him. You might be an adult but he was still trying to face what every father had to, the fact that you were growing up. The difference was that he didn’t have years of memories of you as his little girl, he didn’t get to fall back on the knowledge that he’d raised you well. He hadn’t raised you at all. He'd just stumbled across this feisty young woman who had been brave in the face of death and somehow you’d become everything to him.

He'd know it the second you had peered up at him with tear-filled eyes, still shivering under you blankets from the nightmare that plagued you, and told him that you wanted to fight. Not for revenge, not to make yourself feel better or stronger, but to protect people so nobody had to suffer as you did. You’d been through hell and you didn’t see it as a reason to hide, you saw it as an obligation to help others. To stand up for the little guys. The first time you had ever pulled the trigger and killed another person though, it had shaken you. You weren’t a killer and you didn’t want to be, you had only taken the shot because they had been about to fire at Clint. And now you had been forced to kill people, slaughtered them you said, and it didn’t sit right with him.

 

He knew the lengths you would go to, to make someone you loved proud. What would you do to impress Loki? How far would you push yourself, and who would pick up the pieces if you broke? Loki?

 

Twin sets of footsteps behind him had his shoulders tensing until he recognized the tread.

 

“What did you learn from Loki?” He asked Bucky without any preamble.

 

“We didn’t talk, we threw knives until he admitted that I’m not bad ‘for a mortal’.” Bucky shrugged.

 

“Keep on him. He’s bound to let something slip eventually. He thinks he’s smarter than everybody else and that’s why he’s going to mess up.” Steve decided.

 

He didn’t miss the look Sam and Bucky shared.

 

“What?” He sighed.

 

“It ever occur to you that she’s right about Loki?” Sam asked.

 

“Did it ever occur to you that she was so adamant about giving him a second chance, because you gave me one?” Bucky added on.

 

“And have you considered that instead of him corrupting her, she might corrupt him?” Sam continued.

 

“She knew him for a week and he was throwing down his life for her. Sounds pretty heroic to me.” Bucky agreed.

 

“So you’re on his side?” Steve checked.

 

“Maybe it’s because we weren’t around for New York, maybe it’s because we trust Kit, or maybe it’s because we spoke to Loki. I know trauma when I see it. Loki’s got that look in his eyes, the same one all of us do.” Sam told him.

 

“We’re unbiased. I know you can’t be right now but that’s why you have us. You don’t have to like Loki, but if Icarus and I are agreeing on something, then it probably has merit.” Bucky smirked.

 

“But yeah, we trust him. Guys unhinged, but I don’t get evil off of him. Morally dubious, dangerous, and determined, but not evil.” Sam said almost apologetically.

 

“And absolutely smitten. Didn’t you notice the way he clings to her like she’s his lifeline? I know all you’re seeing is someone with his hands all over your kid but take a step back for a second Steve. He follows her around like a duckling and the way he looks at her is like he’s looking at the sun.” Bucky informed.

 

“And you don’t think that’s strange? That he’s so obsessed with her?” Steve snapped.

 

“I think a guy who spends a thousand years playing second fiddle to his big brother, only to find out he was adopted probably has some issues. If someone tells Loki they love him and they can make him believe it then that person is going to become the centre of his universe.” Sam said softly.

 

“And you got all this from one conversation with him?”

 

“You asked us to talk to him because you trusted us. If we were telling you Loki couldn’t be trusted then you wouldn’t question us. But he convinced the mind-reading witch, the mind-controlled ex-assassin, the soldier with a background in psychology and the genius who fought him the first time around.” Bucky said firmly.

 

He was right. Right in his assessment and right to call Steve out. As the Captain, if he didn’t trust his team then he was making a mistake. As a father, if he didn’t trust you, he was making a colossal mistake. He’d been so concerned with how you might be blinded by your emotions but he was the one who wasn’t seeing clearly through his own.

 

“So what did he tell you?” Steve asked.

 

“He told us enough to explain but he’s still holding back.” Sam sighed.

 

“And you’re telling me to trust him?” Steve checked.  

 

“Holding back, not hiding. We didn’t trust him fully yet, why would he trust us?” Bucky explained.

 

“So we trust him then, and we get him to trust us.” He mused thoughtfully.

 

“First, you might want to go get pizza. You promised your kid food and if you come back empty-handed, it’s not Loki you have to worry about.”

 

~~~

From his vantage point at the head of the table, he had a perfect view of the room as you walked around it, talking to your teammates and looking back at him every few seconds. You were busy making your battle plans and he was busy making his.  

 

Wanda sat on the sofa and using her mobile device to talk to ‘Vision’. The witch believed she had common ground with him and he made a mental note to learn more about ‘Ultron’ and her history so he could strengthen that connection and exploit it. No, not exploit it, foster it. He had to be genuine with her or she would see right through him. And since she was the one who had stood by your side most firmly, she would be the one who could most easily come between you. The witches loyalty and friendship were important to you, which meant he could not risk alienating her. And perhaps… if he played his cards right, he could share in that friendship.

 

The metal armed soldier was interesting, loyal to both you and your father and taking the side of neither, managing to be loyal and still maintain his own opinions. James was hard to read which an impressive feat, almost admirable. Irritatingly, you had been right when you said he was an expert with blades. James skill was impressive for a god, let alone a mortal. And unlike your father, James had a hint of darkness in him, a streak of something less rigidly moral and insufferable. There was a stirring of something almost close to respect in Loki for James Barnes.

 

Sam, the flying soldier was far too compassionate, a trait that Loki had almost sneered at until he saw the hardness in the other man's eyes, sitting behind the kindness. Sam Wilson would be compassionate and kind but he would also be the opposite if the situation called for it. His good nature was not unbreakable. He was intelligent and perceptive, more so than Loki had been expecting. There had been no judgement from him, and more importantly, no pity. He had listened to Loki’s vague tale of being manipulated by the sceptre with keen interest and hadn’t pushed further, despite knowing there was more to the story. He was patient, understanding and strong. A good soldier.

 

They were the three Loki had isolated for many reasons. They had no prior interactions with him that would influence how they felt and they were important to you and the Captain both. They were the three he most needed to befriend for his plans to work. He needed the Witch and the Soldiers on his side if he was to be accepted here. And he needed to be accepted here if your name was going to be cleared.

 

It would be far easier to let you remain a criminal, then he could whisk you off-world, but if he did that then you would leave a part of your heart behind. He wanted you to be whole, he wanted you to be happy and he wanted you to be his. To have everything he wanted, he had to fight his darker impulses and become the man you believed he could be. Every time you looked his way, your eyes shining with hope and happiness, it only strengthened his resolve.

 

You gradually made your way across the room, migrating towards him until you slid into the chair next to his, the Archer and the Widow on your heels. Romanoff didn’t seem perturbed by his presence in the slightest but he expected no less from her. He needed to find a way to deal with Hawkeye though, preferably before the Archer snapped and tried to shoot him like he could see the man imagining at this very second.

 

It wouldn’t be easy, but he was determined, and for once in his life, he wasn’t going to lose. He would have everything and nothing was going to stand in his way.

 

~~~

You scooted your chair closer to Loki’s, trying to get as close to him as you could without sitting directly in his lap. You didn’t think that would go down too well and this was technically a professional situation so you refrained.

 

“Ross has ordered the UN to stand down in regards to the invasion. He’s recalled the Inhumans as well. We still have Fury and Hill and Rhodey is working on every contact and calling in every favour to keep the Military on stand-by.” Clint whispered to you.

 

He hadn’t fired an arrow at Loki yet, but he was still visibly uncomfortable with him. But he was putting it to one side so you could all deal with the problem at hand. Natasha was flipping across several different screens, reading all the information given by Loki that Friday had compiled into the system.

 

“If these numbers are even close to accurate, none of that’s going to matter. Glahn-Betn has more soldiers than Earth has citizens. If he comes here, it’s going to be a bloodbath.” She noted.

 

“And I’m guessing we can’t ask Asgard for back-up?” Clint asked, eyeing Loki pointedly.

 

“Odin made it clear he had no intentions of helping us, and that was before I broke Loki out.” You sighed.

 

Which reminded you of something…

 

“Speaking of, where’s Thor? Shouldn’t he have beaten us back?” You asked Loki.

 

“Not if Odin hasn’t opened the Bifrost.” Loki sighed.

 

You were regretting your decision to not punch Odin.

 

“Alright. Gimme The Tesseract.” You ordered, holding your hand out for it.

 

“You’re going to Asgard? Again?” Natasha asked sharply.

 

“Not a wise idea, Kitten.” Loki warned.

 

“No, what’s not a wise idea is one of our strongest allies not being here. We’re on the eve of war and as Natasha pointed out, we don’t stand a chance of winning if Glahn-Betn makes it here. Most of those people in his army have already lost their planets to him, they’re fighting because they have no choice. We need to give them back the choice, we need to cut the head off and cut the legs out from under them in one fell swoop.” You suggested.

 

“Instead of waiting for him to come to us, we need to go to him.” Natasha smirked, catching on.

 

“Sneaking up behind him didn’t work. We can either wait for him to knock on our front door or we can go and kick his down. But it’s up to Steve to make that decision, not me. I still want the guy with the big hammer on our team though.” You told her.

 

“You stood against Odin twice, he will not allow a third time.” Loki warned.

 

“Which is why you aren’t coming with me. Odin already hates me for rescuing one of his sons, how much more can he hate me if I kidnap the other? I’ll be in and out in seconds.” You told him, still holding your hand out for the Tesseract.

 

“You should wait for Steve to get back.” Clint told you.

 

“I take it that means you don’t want to come with me?” You asked him with a grin.

 

Clint eyed Loki coldly and speculatively and shook his head at you. Loki summoned the Tesseract and handed it off to you with worried eyes.

 

He didn’t want you to do this but he did want Thor here, even if he would never admit it. He also probably didn’t want you trying to teleport yourself and ending up somewhere completely different again. You also knew that if Clint was ever going to trust Loki then he needed to talk to him, and he wouldn’t do that with you around. You threw professionalism out of the window and leaned across to press your lips against Loki’s, trying to convey as much affection and support as you could with the kiss. He didn’t hesitate to kiss you back almost desperately, pulling you closer to him, his fingers winding into your hair and his teeth nipping playfully at your bottom lip. It may have gone on longer than appropriate, but you neither noticed nor cared. By the time you finally pulled away, gasping for breath, your lips were numb and your heart was racing.

 

“Be careful, Kitten.” He demanded in a heated whisper.

 

“Always am Mischief. See you in a second.” You told him, winking as you disappeared.


	28. For Sale, One Soul

All you had to do was sneak into Asgard and grab Thor before Heimdall noticed you. It was ridiculously simple. Kidnap the Crown Prince from the Golden City, right under the Allfathers nose. What could possibly go wrong?

 

Everything apparently. And it went wrong immediately. 

 

“Oh for the love of Loki.” You swore.

 

You had teleported into the room where you had originally woken up with Sif and the Warriors Three watching over you. It was your entry point into an unfamiliar place, a room you could picture easily enough to confidently land in. You really needed to find another way into Asgard for your future kidnapping attempts because this one was compromised.

 

“I had a feeling Asgard had not seen the last of you.” Odin said, and you could have sworn there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

 

“Well, Midgard is about to throw a hell of a party and we really want to invite our boy Thor, you know how it is.” You announced cheerfully.

 

“I had a feeling you might.” He answered.

 

The way he said it made you feel like a fool. You should have known, you should have seen this coming.

 

“You locked the Bifrost so I would have to come back.” You sighed.

 

“I did, but not for the reasons you may think. I wanted you to return because I want to strike a deal with you.” He told you.

 

You didn’t even have to think about it.

 

“Not interested.” You snapped.

 

He didn’t seem put out by your refusal, he actually had the gall to smile at you.

 

“You will be. Once you’ve been to Asylum, you’ll come back and listen.” He said confidentially.

 

“Now why the hell would I do that?” You asked in disbelief, your voice dripping with scorn.

 

“Go. See for yourself. In the meantime, Thor is already preparing to depart for Midgard.” He said calmly, gesturing to the Tesseract in your hand.

 

The whole thing reeked of a trap but… as much of an asshole as Odin was, you didn’t really believe he would set you up to get killed by Glahn-Betn. He met your frown with placated patience and no further explanation. You needed to know what game he was playing, which meant you needed to play along. You really wanted to go and get Loki before you did what Odin was suggesting but if this was some kind of trap then you didn’t want to lead Loki straight into it. And if it wasn’t a trap, you had to know what the hell was going on. Your hand twitched as you silently beseeched the Infinity Stone you were connected with to take you to where The Allfather wanted you to go.

 

Even before you had fully landed on Asylum you knew something wasn’t right. The first thing to hit you was the silence, the lack of sound in itself was deafening. The second thing was the smell, the thick cloying scent of death that slid down your throat and choked you. You walked out of the alley and onto the street in a zombified daze, knowing exactly what you were going to find but still praying to God that you were wrong.

 

You weren’t wrong.

 

You should have been screaming, you should have been weeping. The shock was the only thing saving you at that moment, letting you walk numbly through the slaughter, past the bodies, through the puddles of blood. You strolled down the cracked road of the once bustling city and you felt nothing, because if you felt something then you would have been destroyed.

 

Asylum was dead, void of all life. Everyone who had been here had been slaughtered by the soldiers before they left. Odin had wanted you to see this, he knew you had to see it to believe it. You had lost your window of opportunity to attack Glahn-Betn on his turf, and he was on his way to your world to drown it in blood like he had done this one.

 

Your feet carried you as your mind started to crack and splinter, panic overtaking your thoughts but not touching your emotions. Natasha had said it best, your enemy had more soldiers than your planet had citizens. He had proven and battle-tested killers under his command and you all you had were a handful of heroes. He had swept across the galaxy, toppling empires and committing genocide for a hobby. As you felt the sand under your feet, you realized you’d somehow walked all the way across the city and into the abandoned base, unconsciously seeking out the scene of your failure.

 

It looked different than the last time you’d seen it. It was destroyed, the walls cracked and crumbled like a bomb had gone off in the centre of the pit. But it still looked the same as well. Nobody had even moved the corpses you’d made. You knew where Gun’s body was, you knew if you walked forward a few more feet, you would find him. But you were too much of a coward to do it, because that might snap you out of your shock and allow the avalanche of pain to consume you. Instead, you walked to the most disturbing and eye-catching difference in the Arena. To the message scratched into the stone, the words etched onto the surface of the wall just for you. He had known you would return here, he had been counting on it.

 

A GIFT FOR YOU, WARCHYLDE

 

And embedded in the sands under your message was Mischief, the staff with its hidden blades, the weapon you had lost the last time you were here. He’d used your weapon to carve the words, a petty and painful taunt. But that wasn’t the ‘gift’, the gift was one of the screens his generals had used. You picked it up with trepidation and by the time you saw what was on it, what had been left for you, your blood was like ice in your veins.

 

Odin was waiting exactly where you had left him when you returned to Asgard.

 

“Are you ready to hear my offer now?” He asked.

 

“Yes.”

 

~~~

 

“Have you ever had pizza?”

 

He looked up at the witch as she held out a plate to him with a kind smile and amusement sparkling in her eyes.

 

“No, and hopefully it’s a fate I will never have to suffer.” He drawled.

 

“Don’t let Koshenya hear you say that. She may forgive murder, but speaking badly of Pizza is a crime she can’t overlook.” Wanda teased, putting the plate down next to him anyway.

 

“I will take your word for it since you have a unique insight into her mind.” He said coyly.

 

“Yes, she loves you deeply. No, I won’t tell you how deeply.” She said with a knowing smile.

 

He could see why you were so fond of the Witch. She walked a thin line between innocence and power, as you did. He could imagine you alternated between feeling protective of the girl and hiding behind her, and imagined she would be the same with you.

 

“Ok man, we’re trying to be in your corner here. It would really help if you stopped giving Kit shiny space rocks so she can run off to find trouble.” Sam Wilson called out to him as he strode over.

 

“So I should refuse her request? Deny her access to The Tesseract so I can control her?” He rebutted.

 

“Yes. If you’re going to love that girl you need to understand that she’s a Rogers. Which means it doesn’t matter how intelligent she is capable of being, all her brain cells go out the window if she sees even the smallest opportunity to be a dumbass.” Sam scoffed.

 

“Leave Loki alone, nobody else tried to stop her either.” Wanda defended him.

 

“She’s not my kid.” Clint shrugged.

 

“Only because Steve got to her first!” Stark yelled across the room, causing Wanda to let out a soft laugh.

 

“Spiderboy!” Clint rebutted.

 

“You recruited Russian Red and Sokovian Scarlet!” Stark shot back.

 

“Well, Steve brought in the Flying Soldier, Frozen Soldier and the Fledgling Soldier.” Clint mused. 

 

“Yeah but Stark and Banner went one up and made Vision.” Sam sniggered.

 

“Who gets credit for Tricky Dicky here then? Kitten brought in a stray of her own but he is Thor’s brother…” Stark asked.

 

Loki blinked as the conversation was brought back around to him. He had been rather enjoying watching the bickering, filing away all the information that was being tossed out. But now everyone was looking at him with varying degrees of speculation. Except the Archer who looked bitter at being reminded he was sharing air with his old foe.

 

“If it’s all the same to you, I would prefer Thor get the blame and Kitten get the credit.” He suggested.

 

“So we don’t file your adoption paperwork until after we beat Voldemort.” Stark said, nodding thoughtfully.

 

He didn’t understand the obscure nicknames or references being spewed out, but he understood the underlying point to them. Even the Man of Iron seemed to be under the impression that he would be sticking around after the upcoming battle was fought and won. He was no fool, he could feel the tension coming from the hero’s, he could see the side-glances and tense shoulders. But whether resigned like Stark, accepting like Sam or eager like Wanda, they were prepared to let him stay. It had barely been a few hours and he had already made headway with some of them. By the time it was all over, he was confident he would have swayed enough of them.

 

He had thought it would be more difficult than this and had he returned a few years ago, it would have been. But the line between good and bad had become more blurred for The Avengers. What was once black and white had faded into grey thanks to members like Wanda and Bucky. You were the one who had put him on this path but the way had already been paved. In this little group of heroes, on this realm he’d once disregarded as insignificant, Second Chances were given to even the likes of him. He had expected true feelings to be revealed as soon as you left but nobody had been any colder to him in your absence. If anything Wanda and Sam had been warmer, trying to fill the void you left behind. It was curious, how they seemed to be genuinely attempting to befriend him.

 

He doubted that he would have the Archer's acceptance, let alone trust but that was expected, fair even.

 

“I presume you would object to my continued presence were I to stay?” He asked, smirking at Clint.

 

“I don’t care that you were being manipulated. You killed people, innocent people, you made me kill some of them for you. You might not have masterminded the whole thing but that doesn’t make you innocent.” Hawkeye said coldly.

 

“No, it does not.” He agreed.

 

“But you’re here now and if you really are trying to do the right thing then I won’t stand in your way. But you and I are never going to be friends and as long as you’re on my planet I’m going to watching you. The second I even suspect you’re up to your old tricks, I won’t hesitate to put you down. And if you ever think about ever harming so much as a hair on that girls head I will truss you up and leave you like a goddamn Christmas Present for the Soldiers to tear open.” The Archer warned.

 

He could feel the sneer itching at his lips, his teeth aching to be bared. Taking threats from a mortal was beneath him and he wouldn’t stand for it, no matter how hard he was trying to play nice. But then the Archer had brought you up and his ire ebbed away.

 

“You’re right, I am no innocent. Saving this world was no more than a means to an end for me, a way to achieve what I wanted. But for her, I would save every world, or burn them down if she asked. I am a god, my love is not fleeting or fickle, it is eternal. I will love her for as long as there is life in me and I would sooner carve my heart of my chest than harm her. To let this world suffer would harm her. Whether Midgard wants me or not, I will defend it.” He said, the words wrenching themselves from his throat unbidden.

 

He could not contain the depth of his feelings for you or hide them. He didn’t truly have any desire to hide it, he wanted to shout it to the heavens, write it in the stars. You were his and he was unquestionably yours. He wanted them all to know it, to know how he loved you. He wanted them to see how much power your love had, how it could soothe a broken god and tame a monster.

 

“Guess that’s why they call you Silvertounge. You give a good speech.” Clint huffed, his eyes flicking to the doorway.

 

The Captain stood there, jaw furiously clenched. Your father would be his biggest obstacle, but the least unobtrusive one. He doubted Steve Rogers would risk losing his daughter by pushing him away.

 

“Did you mean what you said? About loving her?” Your father asked stiffly.

 

“Is it so hard to believe?” He asked almost gently, the scorn almost unnoticeable.

 

“That she’s lovable? No. She has a way of storming into your heart and planting herself there. But I find it hard to believe your intentions with her are pure.” Steve informed him harshly.

 

“Then you’re smarter than I thought, I assure you, my intentions with her are far from pure. But she is smarter than you give her credit for, she knows my love is true because she has always seen through me.” He said, standing up.

 

He could see the line he was crossing, he knew there were about to be repercussions. He also knew that if he was going to challenge your father this way, it had to be done before you returned. You would not approve, but he didn’t care. He would do whatever it took to make this work, and this was only going to get better if it first got worse. He would play nice, he would be charming but he would not roll over and act tame. He loved you and he would not allow that to be questioned. 

 

The tension in the room became palpable, thickening the air between him and the soldier. Until the Widow strolled in and cut through it.

 

“Whatever family feud you two are about to start is going to have to wait. Banner just called.” She said briskly.

 

“What’s going on?” The Captain asked, spine straightening, turning away from him.

 

“Thor just landed at the Compound upstate, with a few hundred Asgardian soldiers, and he says more are on the way.” She informed them.

 

“Asgard sent warriors?” Loki asked sharply.

 

“Apparently they’re here to help us. And you have officially been pardoned by Odin.” Natasha relayed.

 

Pardoned. It wasn’t possible. His father would never forgive him for any of his transgressions, let alone all of them.

 

“What the hell did Kit do?” An awestruck Sam asked.

 

“That’s the thing… Kit never made it to Asgard. Thor hasn’t seen her.” Natasha sighed.

 

That announcement was met with silence.

 

“Then where the hell is she?” The Captain demanded.

 

It took a fraction of a second for him to reach out with his seiðr and locate you through the lock of his hair wound into yours. He answered at the same time as Wanda, both of them turning around as they sensed you.

 

“She’s outside.” They said together.

 

He was the first one out of the door, your father hot on his heels. He wasn’t sure what he expected to find but he was relieved to see you sat on a bench on the grass, unharmed. The relief didn’t last long though. You didn’t so much as look up as he and The Avengers descended on you, piling out of the building. He recognised the sleek metal in your hand, and it made his blood boil. You had lost the ridiculously named weapon on Asylum. If you had it now, it meant you had returned to that ghastly place.

 

“What did you do?” He growled.

 

“You know what I did.” You answered automatically, without a trace of remorse.

 

Without a trace of anything at all. There was no emotion in your voice, a blank expression on your face. It terrified him. 

 

“Kit? What’s going on?” Your father demanded, hovering over you with concern.

 

“She went to Asylum!” Loki snarled, gesturing to your weapon.

 

He saw the exact second his words registered with each of The Avengers and they all had the same reaction.

 

“What. The. Hell?” Sam snapped.

 

“It’s empty. He’s not there anymore. We’re too late, Glahn-Betn is coming.” You told them monotonously, holding something out to Loki without looking at him. 

 

It was a glass screen, lit up with words that made no sense to him. It was a list of names, none of which were familiar to him. He passed the screen over to James, hoping the soldier could make better sense of it. The Captain leaned over to look as well and judging by the sharp intake of breath, he knew what the list was.

 

“This is…”

 

“The Inhuman Index.” You interrupted in an icy tone.

 

Shock settled over the room, cold and spine-chilling.

 

“This isn’t an impending invasion anymore. It’s already begun.” Wanda whispered.

 

“How did Glahn-Betn get this?” Natasha asked sharply.

 

“Keep reading. There’s more.” You hissed.

 

“Shit.” James swore, flinging the tablet down and running his hand across his face.

 

Loki felt dread form in the pit of his stomach as he knelt in front of you, brushing his fingers across your cheek and making you look at him.

 

“Kitten?” He prompted softly. 

 

“Glahn-Betn has files on us, all Earth’s defenders. He’s had allies here the whole time. He made a deal, with HYDRA.” You told him, something finally stirring in your cold eyes.

 

Anger swam to the surface, darkening your gaze, a fit of blazing, haunted anger.

 

“He called me WarChylde, Mischief… He was taunting me. Glahn-Betn knew who I was the second I arrived, he knew the whole damn time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hnnngh, the closer I get to the end, the more nervous I get. I hope I haven't built up a plot that ends with a whimper.   
> Nothing worse than good foreplay that can't finish you off...


	29. You're As Cold As Ice

You sidled over to Loki, partially because you wanted to be next to him and partially because Sam kept passing you cold slices of Pizza with a motherly look.

 

“None of our satellites are picking them up.” Tony said without looking up from the screen he was bent over.

 

“Hydra probably told them what our range is. They’re probably sat just outside our range, waiting. Question is, what are they waiting for?” Natasha said from the kitchen.

 

“Us to be distracted. Hydra are going to make a move, one we can’t ignore, and that’s when the army will attack. It’s what I would do.” Steve said.

 

“What if we did ignore it?” You asked.

 

“You think we should let Hydra run amock?” Sam frowned.

 

“I think we have allies, lets use them.” You shrugged.

 

“We let Asgard take on Hydra… Nobody’s going to expect that, they won’t be prepared for it. Hydra won’t be able to stand up to Asgardian troops when they’re prepared for The Avengers.” Sam grinned, already onboard with the idea.

 

“But it does give away what cards we have.” Natasha pointed out.

 

“Not necessarily. Not if Hydra think that they are fighting The Avengers.” You said, smirking at Loki.

 

He tilted his head to look down at you and shrugged agreeingly.   

 

“That could work, at least for long enough. If Hydra are communicating with Glahn-Betn then I can wait for them to send the signal then cut them off. The army will think that everything is going to plan and by the time they arrive, we’ll have already kicked Hydra’s ass.” Tony said thoughtfully.

 

“Loki, can you do that?” Stave asked.

 

“With ease.” He said cockily.

 

“Ok, Loki and Thor will take the Asgardian warriors and put on a show for Hydra. Wanda help Loki. Tony, find out where that signal is coming from when it’s sent and cut it off. Kit, you and Bucky standby with The Tesseract to go to where the signals sent from and close Hydra down there.” Steve instructed.

 

Loki sat up, looking unhappy about being separated from you.

 

“You and I are the only ones who can use The Tesseract. Being able to jump across space in seconds is too big of an advantage to waste.” You whispered apologetically.

 

He barely jerked his head in agreement but you knew he would go along with the plan, even if he didn’t like it.

 

“What about the rest of us?” Clint asked.

 

“We’re going to get the UN to get back on board.” Steve said resolutely.

 

“I’ll take Loki and Wanda to the compound and then come back for Bucky.” You said, holding your hand out to Wanda.

 

“Don’t dawdle.” Steve warned.

 

“Dawdle? Really?” You sniggered as Wanda’s hand slid into yours and Loki’s arm wrapped solidly around your waist.

 

Steve opened his mouth to either rebut it or admonish you, but with a wicked smirk, you and your little crew disappeared. You arrived in your bedroom at the compound and Wanda let go of your hand, shaking her head fondly at you.

 

“I will stall for a few minutes.” She agreed before you even asked.

 

“Thanks Wanda.” You said gratefully, leaning back into Loki’s body and leaving the compound behind in the blink of an eye.

 

“Oh, are we running away?” He questioned, looking around at your new location with a inquisitive air.

 

“We’re in France.” You explained.

 

“As much as I would happily take a trip with you, I presume we are here for a reason?”

 

“I haven’t been here since I was a normal human. Back then, I stopped in this town for a night, but I got offered a job in that bar over there so I stuck around for a couple of weeks.” You sighed, pointing out the small bar.

 

You lightly tugged yourself out of his arms and crossed the road at a leisurely pace as the memories of what had once happened on these streets surrounded you like wisps of smoke. Your footsteps echoed as you strolled into the narrow alleyway between the bar and the library next to it. You dragged your hand across the alley walls, feeling the coarse brick beneath your fingertips. Loki watched you silently, curiosity and worry holding his tongue.

 

“I must have spoken a little too loudly or told the wrong person something because on my last night here, I was dragged into this alley and drugged. They only took me because I wouldn’t be missed, because nobody would look for me.” You whispered.

 

He rose to his full height, his eyes darting around like he would see the enemy there now, his fingers twitching like he was itching to draw his daggers and sink them into the people who had done this to you.

 

“I was tortured and experimented on and I wasn’t even supposed to survive. I was a corpse to be cut open and studied to them, nothing more. But I _did_ survive and I’m stronger than I could have ever dreamed because of what they did. I don’t mean physically, I mean in here.” You clarified, tapping your chest, your sigil.

 

The storm raging in his eyes quietened a touch as he came to stand next to you.  

 

“You’re saying that had you not suffered, you would have never found your family.” He realised.

 

“I’m saying I don’t have the power to change the past and I don’t know that I would if I could. What’s done is done and I would rather focus on what I have than what I lost.” You told him.

 

“Why? Why bring me here?” He demanded softly, swallowing down his angst and pain.

 

“You know why Mischief.” You said kindly, your voice barely louder than a breath.

 

If you were hurting from your recent discoveries, then so was Loki. You had been able to find comfort because what you thought was a mistake, wasn’t. Not killing Gun wasn’t a colossal fuck-up on your part any more, it was a saving grace. Glahn-Betn hadn’t been able to manipulate you into doing something you couldn’t come back from.

 

“I sent you into a trap. I sent you to Glahn-Betn so he could toy with you, make you do things that caused you pain, I endangered you.” He snapped.

 

“It doesn’t matter how it happened, because it’s done. If you could go back and change it then we might not have met, we wouldn’t have fallen in love, my world would still be in danger though. I could have died without ever knowing you and _that_ would be something I couldn’t live with.” You said resolutely, with absolute certainty.

 

“You wouldn’t know the difference.” He said bitterly.

 

“I would. I fell for you so quickly because my heart was always yours even when I wasn’t aware of it. Not falling in love with you would mean I would still be lost and empty, trying to be someone I’m not. Steve told me I adapt to everyone around me and he was worried how much you would influence me. But you don’t influence me at all, you bring out the best and the worst in me, cajole me into being the truest version of myself even when that person drives you up the wall. Everything that has happened to me since I met you has made me stronger and happier.”

 

“Are you so certain of that, my love? The fact remains that I took you to be a pawn in my game, my quest for glory. I sought to save this world to prove my father wrong, to prove I was as good as Thor, to hold it over my brothers head. I wanted to be the hero for once, not the monster, and I used you to achieve it.” He spat.

 

“And I went along with it to prove to my father that I could be a hero as well. I used you to make a name for myself, to prove I could be a badass. Stop punishing yourself for being a monster, because you aren’t one.” You snapped back.

 

“AREN’T I?” He yelled, slamming his hands against the wall behind you, caging you in with his body.

 

His eyes were wild, pain and anger swirling in them. The temperature around you dropped several degrees, your breath crystalizing in the air. Goosebumps broke out across your skin and your spine tingled as he stared down at you with blood-red eyes, his pale skin melting to blue.

 

“Look at me now, look upon my true form and tell me I am not a monster.” He demanded in a broken whisper.

 

You were speechless. Ice formed under his hands, spiderwebbing across the stone and growing until the whole alley was covered in a layer of frost and still you said nothing. What you did was raise your hand to his cheek, trying to show him you weren’t at all afraid. He recoiled from you before you get near him, throwing himself backwards.

 

“You can’t touch me like this! My skin will freeze your touch, it will destroy you. Don’t you understand? I can never bring you anything except pain.” He hissed.

 

“I’ll heal.” You shrugged, closing the space between you in one stride.

 

Your fingers grasped at the lapels of his coat, dragging him down to meet you as you surged forwards. Your lips collided with his, swallowing down his gasp of shock. Your lips froze against his, a cold burn that hurt like hell, but you didn’t flinch. He shoved you away forcefully, the blue of his skin fading away as he shook his head almost violently.

 

“I already knew you were a Frost Giant, Mischief. Granted, I didn’t realise that meant you were actually fucking blue, but I don’t give a damn. I told you, my love is not conditional!” You snarled, the skin of your lips cracking as the frostbite started to heal.

 

You refrained from telling him that his Jotun form was beautiful, that it was mesmerizing. You didn’t think that was something he would be ready to hear or understand. A small spot of blood seeped from your lip and trickled down your chin and he watched it fall with a heartbroken expression.

 

“Mischief, it’s not the first time you’ve made me bleed. Like every other time, I will heal, and it causes a lot more pleasure than it does pain.” You whispered.

 

“How can you be so accepting of me? So forgiving?” He pleaded, desperate to understand.

 

“I _love_ you. I just… really, really, love you. Stop waiting for me to change my mind every time something goes wrong. You don’t need to try push me away just because you think it’s inevitable.” You proclaimed frantically.

 

“I don’t doubt the depth of your feelings, I swear. I believe you when you say you love me, I just don’t know you could.” As he said it he looked stricken and kind of guilty, like a cat who’d accidentally clawed someone it cared for.

 

“You’re a god! A thousand years old and so powerful. I don’t think I’m worthy of your love but I’m not going to pick it apart, I’m just going to cherish it.” You insisted.

 

You abruptly found yourself trapped against the wall again, caged between his chest and the icy stone.

 

“Perhaps my initial assessment of your race was not wrong after all if you can not see how worthy of love you are. I may be a god, but you, my darling, outshine any Asgardian.” He growled.

 

“Agree to disagree?” You asked breathlessly.

 

“No. You will admit it or I will keep you here.” He threatened.

 

“You’re holding me hostage until I comply with your demands?” You clarified.

 

“I am.”

 

“Ok. I admit that you think I am incredible.” You said.

 

“And what do you think?” He pushed.

 

“What does it matter what I think? You’re never wrong.” You smirked.

 

“Not good enough, Kitten.” He said, narrowing his eyes at you.

 

“Ok, I think… I’m still holding The Tesseract.” You said smugly.

 

The alleyway disappeared as you grinned triumphantly and by the time Loki realised what had happened, it was too late.

 

“BROTHER!”

 

“Norns.” Loki muttered, pulling you in front of him like a shied as Thor barrelled towards you both.

 

The blonde giant didn’t slow down and you ended up squashed between them as Thor threw his arms around you both and crushed you to his gargantuan chest. You weren’t able to do much but let out a pathetic squeak as all the oxygen was squeezed out of your lungs. You managed to get an arm free and someone grabbed a hold of your wrist and tugged you free. You stumbled into your saviour gratefully, mumbling about overgrown, overly-affectionate puppies. You were only mildly surprised to see it was Sif who had rescued you.

 

“My lady.” You greeted her.

 

“My lady.” She greeted back, sharing a grin with you.

 

“My Lady, it is good to see you again.” Fandral said kindly, grasping your hand in his.

 

He made an attempt to pull your hand to his lips but a low, dangerous growl from behind you gave him pause. You looked over your shoulder to see Loki glaring at your attempting wooer, somehow still managing to look terrifying despite being crushed under Thor’s arm.  

 

“Fandral behave yourself for one.” Volstagg admonished, shoving him out of the way.

 

“It is good to see you again though, princess.” Volstagg said cheerfully.

 

“Beg your pardon?” You asked, blinking stupidly at him.

 

“Volstagg…” Thor warned.

 

“Did he just call me… um… what?” You stammered, throwing a helpless look at Loki, who was refusing to look at you but had turned a strange shade of pink.

 

“It may be a little premature, but you are courting the Prince, are you not?” Sif said in what was blatantly false confusion.

 

“I… Mischief, help.” You stuttered.

 

“I believe your father is waiting for you to go and collect James.” He snapped out quickly.

 

“Yip, that’s right. Gotta go… do that.” You said, wincing at how awkward you sounded as The Warriors Three chuckled at you.

 

You quickly got the hell out of there before you choked on your own tongue, not even feeling slightly guilty at leaving Loki to the mercy of those teasing troublemakers. Somehow, despite knowing that Loki was royalty, it had never occurred to you what that meant. Probably because you had only been with him for less than a week, and _with_ him for a couple of days. You sat down on the sofa in the safehouse heavily, trying to get your stomach to stop doing weird backflips.

 

“What took you so long?” Steve said from behind you, making you jump about five ft in the air.

 

“Nothing!” You protested, far too loudly.

 

He gave you a look that let you know he didn’t believe you as the couch shifted and Bucky sat next to you.

 

“I just wasn’t expecting to see Sif and The Warriors, that’s all.” You lied, badly.

 

Bucky swept your hair behind you ear and pressed a comm unit in, ignoring the side eye you were giving him. Steve seemed to make an internal decision about whether to press you and when his posture straightened, taking him from dad to captain, you knew you were in the clear.

 

“We don’t know exactly when Hydra’s attack is going to come, or where. So we need to be on alert, which means you don’t take your comms out for any reason. Tony is already on his way to the compound and he’ll be running point from there with Bruce. Thor, Wanda and… Loki will take on Hydra. Tony will find where that signal is coming from and shut it down. As soon as he has a location you and Bucky need to get there and quickly and quietly disable the base. You need to use your judgement on this one Kiddo, use The Tesseract to come get backup if you need it, but it’s important that we do this with as much stealth as possible.” Steve reminded you as Bucky started passing you knives, watching as you slid them into your suit.

 

“I’ll go in first, alone. I’ll make sure we can get inside without being seen and then I’ll bring Bucky in. But after that, I have to send The Tesseract away. I can’t fight with it in one hand and we can’t risk it falling into Hydra’s clutches again, you of all people know how bad that would be.” You sighed.

 

“You and Bucky won’t have an exit strategy then.” Steve warned.

 

“We won’t need one. Once we clear the base we’ll signal Stark and sit tight for Loki to collect us with the Tesseract.” Bucky suggested.

 

You nodded at him in agreement, it was the best plan.

 

“Are you sure that’s the best idea?” Steve asked you, looking at you carefully for even a hint of nervousness.

 

“It’s the only plan. If Hydra get the Tesseract then all this might be for nothing. We can use it to get in but after that, we are on our own.”

 

“In that case, you’re taking Sam in with you.” Steve decided.

 

“What happened to stealth? And Sam is going to be more useful to you when you argue with Ross. Bucky and I can handle it.” You argued.

 

“She’s right. We can’t risk Hydra alerting the enemy that we’re onto them. Besides, we’ll all be on comms, you’ll know if we need help.” Bucky backed you up.

 

Steve looked between you as he weighed it up. Even one extra person increased the chances of Hydra noticing you and Bucky were there before you shut down whatever communication device they were using, but it also increased the chances of either of you getting hurt.

 

“Time to decide, Cap. Hydra just made their move!” Clint shouted, racing into the room.

 

Natasha was right behind him, reaching over to switch the TV on.

 

“Shit!” You and Bucky swore in unison.

 

The live news footage showed you a barrage of blood chilling images. Hydra really were making a hell of a brazen move, one that proved without a doubt that they had back-up, because no way they would attempt this unless someone else was footing the bill. If you didn’t know what they were up to, it would have sure as hell been a good distraction though, you’d give them that.

 

They’d just set off a bomb in the middle of Manhattan, and blown the hell out of the bottom floors of Avengers Tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're in the final phase now... Battle, commencing!


	30. Nuke em', Nuke The Bastards

“Tonyyyyyy. I haven’t stabbed anyone in like two days, I’m getting antsy.” You whined. 

 

“How do you think I feel?” Bucky huffed.

 

“Quit bitchin’ Kitten. It’s not my fault Hydra aren’t sending the signal yet.” Tony grumbled through the comms.

 

“They may be waiting for The Avengers to actually show up.” Bruce added.

 

“This is Team Magic, we’re en-route, Strange is even meeting us there.” Wanda supplied helpfully.

 

“Team Magic?” Bucky sniggered.

 

“Tony and Bruce are Team Tech, Thor’s running Team Thunder and Steve’s group are Team Bureaucracy.” You explained.

 

“What does that make us?” Bucky asked, almost fearfully.

 

“Team Coolcats?” You suggested. 

 

“No.” Bucky said expressionlessly.

 

“Team Stabby?” You tried.

 

“There it is.” He said with a pleased expression.

 

“Hey, Wanda? How’s Loki doing?” You asked her.

 

“Surprisingly well, he had all the Asgardians disguise themselves as Shield Agents so he doesn’t have to focus his magic on them. Most of them bitched about it but he went all ‘I am Loki and you will do as I say or I will send you back to Asgard as a pile of ash’ and they shut up pretty quickly.” Tony answered.

 

“Wanda, you’re sounding more feminine than usual.” You scoffed.

 

“He’s just fine Sestra, I will watch over him for you.” Wanda laughed gently.

 

“Is he wearing the armour?” You asked.

 

“Yes?” She said after a moment, sounding puzzled.

 

“What about the helmet?” You pressed.

 

Understanding finally dawned on her and she giggled as Tony made gagging sounds and Bruce let out a suspiciously amused sounding cough.

 

“I gather that nobody informed you that they wrangled me into wearing one of these infernal communication devices?” Loki’s smooth voice asked, directly in your ear.

 

“Mischief!” You cooed happily.

 

“Kitten. You’ll be gratified to hear I am indeed wearing the armour _and_ the helmet, though I had no idea you were so fond of them.” He teased.

 

“What can I say, those horns are giving me the h…”

 

“NO! Do not finish that sentence!” Steve exclaimed quickly, loudly and very angrily.

 

“I may have forgotten you were on the comms as well, sorry.” You winced.

 

Bucky shook with silent laughter next to you as you facepalmed.

 

“So. Hydra.” You said quickly.

 

“I have an Iron Suit on the scene, so The Avengers have officially arrived.” Tony informed you.

 

You leaned back in your chair to watch the choppy live news coverage as what really did look like Natasha and _you_ dove into the fray, kicking ass.

 

“I’m probably going to regret asking this, but who is that pretending to be me?” You asked, marvelling at how badass they were making you look.

 

“That would be Sif, I gathered she would be the least disturbing for you.” Loki said, the sounds of fighting in the background.

 

“And who are you pretending to be?” You sighed, mentally preparing yourself.

 

“Sergeant Barnes.” He admitted.

 

“Make me look good, pal.” Bucky snorted.

 

You decided to stop asking before it got too weird.

 

“Holy shit.” Tony exclaimed.

 

You and Bucky sat up in tandem, on alert.

 

“Got a location for us?” You asked.

 

“Yeah… Good news is, we can so get Ross fired for this, Bad News is… You’re taking a trip to the Raft.” Tony admitted.

 

“What did you just say?” Steve snapped.

 

“There’s a signal being beamed into space, from The Raft Prison. So either the UN have sold us out, or…”

 

“Hydra are doing what they do best and infiltrating pre-existing organizations.” Steve finished.

 

“Kit and I will shut it down, Steve, shut Ross down.” Bucky said, handing you the exact coordinates that Tony had just messaged to him.

 

“Team Bureaucracy are walking into the UN headquarters as we speak.” Sam whispered.

 

You nodded and picked The Tesseract up off of the coffee table. You’d only ever teleported to a location you had never seen once before, even your trip to Mars was based on Satellite footage.

 

“Hey, so, I’d appreciate your help with this one.” You whispered to the cube, ignoring Bucky’s sharp, inquisitive look. 

 

And then you weren’t seeing Bucky or the safehouse anymore. You were seeing an empty corridor aboard the raft.

 

“Thanks!” You exclaimed as the vision ended.

 

“Let's go.” You told Bucky, holding your hand out to him.

 

He didn’t question the change the plan of you going first, he just took your hand and let you pull him through space.

 

“That’s worse than Coney Island.” He muttered, swaying only a fraction of an inch when you landed in the empty corridor.

 

“Mischief, incoming.” You whispered.

 

You concentrated on Loki, gently encouraging The Tesseract to go to him and it disappeared.

 

“I have it, Kitten.” Loki confirmed.

 

“Ok, let's go.” You said to Bucky.

 

The two of you silently crept through the corridors, keeping to the shadows and avoiding the cameras. You passed the room with all the cells and a quick glance through the door revealed that they were all empty. That wasn’t good, at all. It was nearly five minutes before you ran into anyone.

 

You could hear the hushed voices of someone around the corner and Bucky held out his arm to stop you before he knelt low to the ground and peered around the corridor.

 

“Eight hostiles, they’re cleaning up a mess they made.” He hissed to you.

 

Cleaning up a mess they made. If that meant what you think it meant…

 

“They’ve killed the UN agents.” You said softly, more for the rest of the Teams benefit than to confirm it with Bucky.

 

Bucky nodded his head to the corridor, encouraging you to take a quick look. You mimicked his position on the floor and quickly peeked around the corner. Eight agents, like he’d said. They were dragging a few corpses into what looked like a maintenance closet.

 

“I’ve got the two furthest away.” You breathed to him and he confirmed with a jerk of his head.

 

He held three fingers up and folded them down, one at a time. As soon as he hit zero, you both sprang into action.

 

You dove around the corner and sprinted down the hall, Bucky well-aimed bullets whizzing past you and hitting two agents in the skulls. You pushed off from the ground, wrapping your hands around an agents neck so it twisted as you vaulted over his head and landed on your feet behind him, a dagger already in your hand. You rammed the blade into the jugular of one agent and yanked it out in a spray of blood before you tossed it with fatal precision into the eye socket of another. Your fourth and final target had managed to unholster his gun and was bringing his arm up to aim at you when your fingers closed around his wrist and twisted, breaking the bone. Your other hand was already over his mouth muffling his yell of pain and you smashed his head into the wall. You had super strength, so it did a little more than knock him unconscious. He was never getting up again.

 

You glanced back and as expected, Bucky had dropped all his four as well. The whole thing had taken just a few seconds. Bucky stalked up the corridor towards you, pointing at the next corner and you nodded to show you understood. He quickly dragged the new corpses into the closet, hiding the evidence of your attack.

 

“How are we looking?” Bucky asked as you glanced around the corner.

 

“Sexy, but not like we're trying too hard, like, sure we're trying, but it's almost effortless.” You said with no hesitation and zero regrets.

 

“I asked how _we_ were looking, not how I was looking.” He said gruffly, tossing a body into the closet like it weighed nothing.

 

“I’m going to let that pass because that actually was quite sexy.” You allowed.

 

 “I beg your pardon?” Loki griped in your ear.

 

“Platonically sexy!” You insisted quickly.

 

“Loki, mind telling your girl to stop ogling me? I’m not a piece of meat.” Bucky said smoothly, smirking at you.

 

You groaned and resisted the urge to bang your head against the wall, choosing instead to peer around the corner to make sure the next corridor was clear.

 

“Kitten, I’m aware you find violent men almost impossible to resist but James is busy at the moment. Do restrain yourself.” Loki sassed.

 

You looked back at Bucky in disbelief. You had been certain Loki was going to verbally eviscerate him, not team up with him. Bucky just winked at you.

 

“Yeah, alright.” You muttered.

 

At least Loki was making friends.

 

A small group of six Hydra agents silently stomped down the corridor towards you, thankfully they hadn’t spotted you yet. You held signalled Bucky silently and the held your hand up, telling him you’d take care of it. He nodded.

 

You silently unsheathed Mischief and slid your thumb up and down, releasing both blades. And then you pushed yourself around the corner and ran towards them, dropping to your knees to avoid the bullets, sliding along the floor with Mischief extended in front of you. It was simple enough to have the sharp edge cut through the agents as you slid past them, adjusting your weapon so you hit major arteries or fatally wounded them.

 

Whatever metal your weapon was made from wasn’t quite as strong as Vibranium, but it was strong enough to slice through body armour like it was cotton. You slid to a stop and looked back over your shoulder, they were mostly dead, except for two who were dying. You stood up as one managed to raise his gun and point it at you. You brought your foot down on his wrist and crushed it as you slashed the other across the throat.

 

“WarChylde… but.. you’re… in…”

 

“Yeah, I’m in New York. Where are the non-Nazi agents and the prisoners?” You asked coldly.

 

His response was to try and spit a mouthful of blood at you. Thankfully, he missed, because, eww. You pressed your foot down harder against his wrist and he whimpered.

 

“You’re dying agent. You can die slowly, in agony, protecting an organization that won’t even mourn you. Or you can die quickly and painlessly.” You offered him.

 

“You’re not a torturer.” He wheezed.

 

“Maybe I’m not, but he is.” You said, stepping aside as Bucky stepped forward and took your place.

 

The small whimper the agent let out brought the ghost of a smile to your face. Bucky didn’t even have to say a word, he just had to let the man see his eyes and he broke him.

 

“Workers are dead, prisoners have been moved or killed.”

 

“Thank you for your co-operation.” You said in your best mock professional tone as Bucky snapped his neck.

 

“Bucky if there’s nobody left alive here we need to rescue or protect…” You began.

 

“Then we should just find a way to destroy the whole site, rather than fight our way through it.” He finished.

 

“Secretary Ross, the Raft is no longer under your control and The Avengers will do whatever they have to do to.” Steve’s voice filtered through.

 

He was talking to you and Bucky, under the guise of talking to Ross. He was giving you permission to blow the place to kingdom come.

 

“Mischief, I need The Tesseract.” You said into you comms.  

 

“I’m slightly busy Kitten.” He answered.

 

“Then send it to me!” You insisted.

 

“My love… That trick is a little easier when I know _where_ to send it.” He snapped.

 

He could do it, but it would require a little extra concentration, something he couldn’t afford right now. But you couldn’t afford to wait either.

 

“Don’t kill me.” You whispered.

 

“Kitten, NO!”

 

You switched your comm unit off and took a deep breath.

 

“She’s going to do **_WHAT_**?” Bucky demanded, his head snapping around to glare at you.

 

You pictured Loki in your mind, unlocking the power in your veins with sheer emotion. The blue light shone from your scars at the same second a very irate Loki appeared in front of you and grabbed your wrist.

****

“Norns woman, you will be the death of me!” He roared, swinging you into Bucky who grabbed you so Loki could pull you both away from the base.

 

You were on one of the top floors of the Avengers tower, the sounds of fighting echoing up towards you from the street.

 

“If you think it’s annoying now, just wait until she’s been doing it to you for seventy years.” Bucky snorted.

 

“I may kill her long before then. Here. Be careful, or I swear, _I will_ kill you myself.” Loki snapped, tossing you The Tesseract.

 

“You be careful.” You retorted petulantly as he stalked over to the window and looked down.

 

“Wanda, I have returned.” He said into his comm.

 

“Want me to blow them up?” Tony asked you as you switched your comms back on.

 

“Nuke 'em, let’s Nuke the bastards!” A new voice chimed in excitedly.

 

“Watch it Spiderboy, Cap doesn’t like that kind of language.” You quipped.

 

Blow them up, nuke them…. _Obliterate them_. Now that, that you could do. You dropped The Tesseract casually, watching as it spun out of existence.

 

“It’s alright Tony, I know exactly what to do.” You said confidentially.

 

 “What did you do?” Loki asked quizzically, head tilted to the side.

 

“I’m going to nuke the bastards.” You smirked.

 

You were already racing for the elevators, Bucky hot on your heels.

 

“What’s your plan?” The metal armed soldier asked before the doors could close.

 

“As I said, I’m going to nuke them. With Tesseract energy. Don’t worry, I’ve done it before.” You told him.

 

“I trust you.” Bucky said softly, looking you straight in the eye.

 

The elevators opened on the lab floor and you jogged towards them.

 

“Friday, can you turn on the Stargate for me?” You asked hopefully.

 

“If you are referring to Project: Open Door, of course I can Garfield.” She responded.

 

“What are you up to?” Bruce asked.

 

 “Remember when Loki first came through the Tesseract and Shield went boom?” You asked as you and Bucky made your way into the glass chamber.

 

“You’re going to boom The Raft?” Tony asked excitedly.

 

“I’m gonna boom The Raft.” You confirmed, switching your glow-in-the-dark arm on.

 

“I’ll be right back.” You assured Bucky.

 

“Good, then we won’t be gone long.” He snorted, stepping up next to you and giving you a hard look to make sure you knew better than to argue with him.

 

You laughed under your breath and grabbed a hold of the lightning rod, infusing it with your power and opening the door.

 

“We have to be fast, Hydra are about to figure out something is wrong.” You warned.

 

“We got you Kitty-Kat, we’ve hacked every satellite in orbit and we’re blocking all signals being beamed into the final frontier.” Tony assured.

 

You held you non-glowy hand out to Bucky and he rolled his eyes and took it.

 

“Geronimo.” You called out and in tandem, you and Bucky stepped through the Stargate.

 

“Nope, _THAT_ is worse than Coney Island!” He gasped, landing on his knees next to you.

 

“Yes, s’not fun. Grab The Tesseract. Metal hand only.” You instructed.

 

The energy was already there, floating towards the ceiling. You could hear Hydra in the distance, stomping towards you. A klaxon blared loudly and red flickering lights added to your adrenaline. You raised your hand, allowing yourself a burst of relieved laughter as the energy moved with you.

 

“Stay close, I don’t want to accidentally blow you up. Steve might be a tad annoyed if I do that.” You whispered, making Bucky choke down a burst of laughter.

 

The Tesseract energy swirled around you, following your movements like a shadow. But it wasn’t just under your control.

 

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” You asked him in a hushed whisper.

 

The cloud of crackling energy was growing, expanding.

 

“You’re creating it, not just controlling it. We’re in the middle of the ocean, be careful.” Bucky warned.

 

It took a second to catch up to his thinking. If you created too large an explosion, you risked creating a tidal wave. Too much energy and you’d create a tidal wave so big, it wouldn’t dissipate before it reached land. You hadn’t thought of that, if it weren’t for Bucky you wouldn’t have realised it until it was potentially too late. You shot him a quick, grateful look and backed up until you were pressed against him. He held out the Tesseract in front of you, ready for you to grab it.

 

The swirling vortex of energy and power was still growing around you and you weren’t sure why, or how to stop it, so you needed to release it before it got any bigger.

 

“Wait. Shrink it.” Bucky ordered.

 

“I can’t!” You hissed back.

 

You didn’t know how to do it, you were barely in control of any of this.

 

“How do you switch on?” He asked.

 

Emotion. You flooded yourself with emotions, with love. It all clicked into place and you groaned.

 

This was Hydra, and you _hated_ them. The energy was feeding off of your anger, gorging itself on the bottomless pit of rage inside you. You tried to remember what you’d said to Loki, how all the bad stuff Hydra had put you through had led to you being a part of The Avengers, of being a part of a family.

 

Without Hydra, you wouldn’t have Steve Rogers making you hot chocolate at 3am.

 

Without Hydra, Sam Wilson wouldn’t drag you to musty record stores so you could help him search for old blues records.

 

Without Hydra, you wouldn’t have Natasha Romanoff watching re-runs of sitcoms with you while you played rock paper scissors to decide who had to get up and fetch refills.

 

Without Hydra, Tony Stark wouldn’t build you mini-robots whose only purpose were to make comforting humming sounds when your anxiety levels rose.

 

Without Hydra, Clint Barton wouldn’t haul you to his farm the morning after you got into the Asgardian mead, so you could recover from your hangover without Steve finding out.

 

Without Hydra, Wanda Maximoff wouldn’t wander around New York, arm in arm with you, ordering from every street vendor in a quest to find the best bagels.

 

Without Hydra, Bruce Banner wouldn’t take you the telescope on the roof and spend hours teaching you about the solar system.

 

Without Hydra, Vision wouldn’t gently scoop you up and fly you through the night sky just because you couldn’t sleep.

 

Without Hydra, Thor wouldn’t sit on the floor at your feet and tell you tales of magical realms while you braided his hair.

 

Without Hydra, you wouldn’t have Bucky Barnes walking through portals by your side, trusting you and willing to do whatever it took to protect you.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

 

Without Hydra, you wouldn’t have a family, you wouldn’t be an Avenger, and if you weren’t an Avenger, you wouldn’t have fallen in love with the God of Mischief.

 

You still hated them, you always would, but you weren’t a slave to your anger and Hydra had no control over you.

 

The crackling tendrils of energy shot back towards you and froze there, held in stasis for one long moment before they burst outwards in a wall of energy, annihilating The Raft.


	31. The Cost Of War

Not only was he apart from you, he had been cajoled into wearing a comm unit. The only saving grace was the fact that your voice was routinely coming through it. Stark assured him that his highly sophisticated AI could filter out anything not addressed to him, so he would not be constantly assaulted with meaningless conversation. However, either Stark or this ‘Friday’ had decided not to filter you out at all. He was comforted by your melodic voice, even if you were mostly speaking gibberish and not all of it was directed at him.

 

He had most of his attention on the task at hand, ensuring that all Hydra could see were The Avengers fighting them. The young witch was proving to be quite a skilled ally in that regard, using her own abilities to strengthen his illusions by diving into the minds of the enemy and ensuring they didn’t question anything. He made a mental not to work with her on her abilities, she had potential but was young and slightly unrefined. Occasionally he would don the guise of The Metal Armed Soldier and use his daggers to dispatch of some agents, but the bulk of his concentration was on keeping his illusions intact.

 

Sif was doing a fine job of keeping your reputation intact, killing with the same ferocity and skill expected of you, even if it was jarring and uncomfortable for him to see another wearing your face.  

 

“Come on doll! That was cutting it a bit close!”

 

He whirled around at the loud exclamation coming from James, and saw the two of you stood in the middle of the battle.

 

“Christ Barnes, your toes got a bet wet, stop being such a princess.” You sniggered, taking in the situation around you.

 

The remaining forces of Hydra did a double take as he dropped all his illusions, letting them see who they had really been fighting. There weren’t many of the enemy left, Asgard had hunted them all down and slaughtered them where they stood, but the few dozen left all huddled together, trying to put up one last stand.

 

You looked… eerie, transcendent, terrifying, stunning. Mystical energy surrounded you, moving with you as you walked, swirling around your body like a living thing, almost affectionate in the way it clung to you. You raised a finger to your temple and tapped it, your eyes glued to the Witch and she nodded at you in understanding.

 

In perfect synchronicity, like you’d practiced it with her before, you both raised your hands and shot blasts of energy at the congregation of agents, and the resulting chaos was astounding. Red met blue in an explosion of colour and power, absolutely obliterating everyone caught in it. The Witch was quick to form a shield around the detonation, containing it and your blue energy slithered around hers before you both raised your hands skyward, propelling the explosion overhead, miles into the sky where it shattered harmlessly.

 

“Sorry Barnes, Team Stabby will always be my first love, but I am officially switching to Team Infinity.” You yelled jubilantly.

 

He was moving before he even realized it, his feet carrying him across the gravel towards you. You were turning, your eyes searching for something and when you saw him, your face lit up and you moved towards him, flat out running. It never failed to surprise him, how you could match the love he had for you. Part of him always expected to love you more than you did he, but it was never the case. You did love him, and you were unashamed and unabashed in showing it.

 

Your body slammed into his and he caught you up in his arms, pulling you as close as he could and sealing your lips with a burning kiss. He held back nothing, letting you taste his desire, desperation, love and adoration. He kissed you so forcefully, you were bent almost in half, only his arms stopping you from falling and he dipped you low to the ground. Neither of you paid any heed to the catcalls or jeering, too lost in each other to care.

 

“I love you, so much. Have I told you that today?” You whispered against his lips, sealing each word with another kiss.

 

“Not nearly enough times. I demand to hear it at least thrice an hour.” He smirked.

 

“As you wish, your majesty.” You sniggered.

 

“AHEM.”

 

“Oh, hi dad.” You said sheepishly, peering over his shoulder at you father.

 

But you didn’t tighten your hold on him in the slightest and he didn’t temper the smugness on his face as he straightened his stance and turned to face the returned Avengers.

 

“Here.” You whispered, passing him The tesseract.

 

“Ok, so we blew the hell out of the Raft. That thing is gone.” You announced.

 

“As are the Hydra scum who attacked here today!” His brother boomed, stomping over and throwing his arm around you and Loki both.

 

“Ross has been forced to stand down by the UN, since he let Hydra take the Raft and who only knows where else. The Inhumans have all been pardoned for breaking the Accords, they’re being told to come here, to fight, but only if that’s what they want.” The Captain said.

 

You grinned, pleased with the news.

 

“What about the lovebirds?” Stark asked through the comm unit.

 

“Loki… is still a war criminal. They can’t pardon him without a trial.” The captain said apologetically.

 

He shrugged, he hadn’t expected anything else, but he could tell you were annoyed.

 

“What about her, your daughter. Were you able to clear her name?” He asked.

 

“They know you brought Loki to Earth, they’re questioning if you may have also brought Glahn-Betn here as well.” The Widow said without preamble, giving it to you straight.

 

Her announcement didn’t sit well with anyone.

 

“They what?” James snapped.

 

“We’ll deal with that later. It doesn’t matter right now.” You sighed.

 

“Right now we need to deal with the 5000 odd spaceships that our satellites just picked up.” Stark said heavily.

 

“What if they just don’t arrive?” You asked.

 

“You think if we put up a misleading signpost on the moon, they’ll fall for it?” Stark asked.

 

“I think that we have The Tesseract, and we can blow every single ship up before they get near our atmosphere.” You shrugged.

 

“Kitten… Not everyone on those ships is there by choice.” Loki reminded you.

 

“This is war. There are always going to be casualties, it’s ours or theirs. I choose theirs.” You said nonchalantly.

 

No, no, this was what he had been afraid of. This darkness, this willingness to sacrifice innocent lives, it wasn’t you. You would make the hard decisions if you had to do it, but not so easily, so casually.

 

“How many people like Gun are on those crafts? How many people forced to fight, prisoners, desperate people trying to save their homes?” He argued.

 

“What’s the difference Mischief, they are going to die anyway. It’s a matter of when, where and how many mortals they take with them.” You reasoned.

 

“Is it just me, or is _Loki_ arguing for the merciful route?” Stark asked in genuine surprise.

 

“Didn’t see that coming.” Sam said softly.

 

“I would see them all die, but not at her hand!” He snapped.

 

“Loki’s right kid. We’ll do what we have to, but as a last resort.” Steve said softly.

 

“This is a last resort. In case you forgot, I already tried to do this the easy way and not only was it a colossal fucking failure, it was a waste of time because he knew!” You yelled, pulling away from him and Thor both, pacing across the cracked pavements.

 

“I can’t let you do this.” He whispered.

 

He had The Tesseract, but if he refused to hand it to you, then you would risk trying this without it. But he had to do something to stop you, before you made a rash decision that _would_ destroy you. He had no doubt that having so much blood on your hands would break you, it was simply a weight that your soul could not bear. If you were hesitant and resigned in your choice, he could understand. But you were being almost eager in your stubbornness and so he knew that your anger and fear were clouding your judgement. It was a position that he himself had been in, many times. And he rarely made the right choice, which was something he had to live with. He didn’t want that for you.

 

“I have to do this. Maybe it was coincidence or maybe it was fate, but everything that has happened to me has led to this moment and I have to see it through, no matter the cost.” You said, determination and strength radiating from you.

 

“I love you Mischief.” You said sadly, your eyes lighting up electric blue.

 

You held your hand out and _you summoned the Tesseract_.

 

“Huh. I didn’t know if that would even work.” You said.

 

And then you were gone.

 

~~~

 

Maybe, maybe, there was a part of you that had let the power go to your head. You had blown the Raft up, and in doing so, you had allowed your ego to be a tad inflated. But that wasn’t why you were doing this.

 

You didn’t want to do this, not really. Blowing up these spaceships wouldn’t make you the hero, it would just make you a different kind of monster. But what Earth needed right now was a monster on her side. You’d told your father that you were seeing the logic in doing bad things for the right reasons and you had meant it. Steve was a soldier, he would understand why you were doing this.  

 

But he was right when he said it was a last resort. The Tesseract could have shown you where Glahn-Betn was, it could have led you right to him, but it had led you here. To a small room aboard one of the feet, filled with controls. It was giving you the chance to save Earth without becoming a monster, and you owed it to Steve, to Loki, to The Avengers, to every victim of Glahn-Betn’s, and to yourself, to take that chance.

 

“There’s a world below you that’s about to be attacked. You know that. What you may not know, is that this world isn’t unprepared and it isn’t alone. You’re here for the Inhumans, to take Earth’s warriors and make them a part of your army. There’s something you need to know about humanity though, something you really need to understand about us before you try to fight us.”

 

The Kree you’d forced to broadcast your message across all the ships looked up at you curiously. Your dagger at her throat forgotten, as your words piqued her interest.

 

“We’re fucking stubborn. Right now, that world below you is preparing to fight, to die. And maybe you’ll win, maybe you’ll beat us into submission, but not without a cost. We will kill a lot of you before we lose, and then you’ll take what’s left and fly away to the next world you want to dominate, and you’ll fight all over again. That is your future, to fight in this army until you die. So, what if you didn’t? What if, instead of fighting against the Earth, you fought _with_ it? Think of what you could do if you turned on this army, this General who ripped your worlds apart, destroyed your home and your family. If you took up arms against him and stood side by side with this world to stop it suffering the same fate as yours. There will be a battle today and you may well die. But are you going to die fighting for Glahn-Betn, a savage who just wants to watch the Universe bleed? Or would you fight for me? For WarChylde? I can’t promise you victory, I can’t promise you your life. I can promise that I know the cost of war, I know the truth that there’s no honour or glory in it. I can promise that I’m not just asking you to lay down your life for me, I would lay down mine for you as well. I know the cost of war, because I am the cost of war. I am the result of a war that began long before I was born, I am a nameless, faceless, casualty, an intended victim. I rose up to fight, and Glahn-Betn may have allied himself with those monsters, but they’re all dead.” You said softly, knowing he would hear it.

 

Let that sink in with him, with them all.

 

“ ** _We_** are the children of war, **_we_** are the cost. Let’s make **_them_** pay.”

 

You nodded to your hostage and she cut off the broadcast, swallowing thickly.

 

“You really think you can turn his army against him?” She asked.

 

“I think half of them don’t want to fight at all, and the rest want to fight for a true warrior. So, yes, I do think they will turn on him. And if they don’t, I will destroy them, no matter how much I wished I didn’t have to.” You told her.

 

“Are you going to kill me now?” She sneered, pressing her throat into your blade, challenging you.

 

“Do you fight for Glahn-Betn?” You asked coldly.

 

“I do!” She hissed.

 

You slashed the dagger across her throat without preamble or guilt. You’d offered her a chance, she hadn’t taken it. Mercy only went so far, you’d give it, but they had to take it. If they didn’t… they _would_ die.

 

You grit your teeth and squeezed The Tesseract, letting it take you back to The Tower.

 

“Kitten!”

 

Loki’s arms were around you in a split second, clutching at you desperately.

 

“Ok, so you may have had a point. Blowing everyone up might have been a tad… bloodthirsty.” You whispered into his chest.

 

“I’m guessing you didn’t go all Mother of Dragons on us, since they’re still in Orbit.” Tony asked.

 

You looked up, noting that Tony and Bruce had finally come from the compound, ready for the real fight.

 

“No… I went all Steve Rogers on you actually.” You grinned.

 

Steve look at you quizzically as you detached yourself from Loki, kissing him on the cheek before you went to your father, wrapping your arms around his torso.

 

“What do you mean? What did you do?” Steve asked, hugging you back.

 

“I think the better question, is why are the enemy fleet firing on each other?!” Bruce asked loudly.

 

You smiled softly to yourself.

 

“Kitten, what did you do?” Loki asked.

 

“I gave them a choice. To fight for Glahn-Betn or to fight for themselves, to fight for WarChylde.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are two chapters left now... And Kit may have just turned the tide in Earth's favour.


	32. Death In The Tower

“They’re heading for New York.” Bruce announced.

 

“Well of course they bloody are.” Tony huffed.

 

“The mutinous ships are slowing them down but it’s not enough. They are going to land sooner or later.” Bruce added.

 

“No, they aren’t.” Steve sighed, nodding to you.

 

You smiled tightly, seeking out Loki’s hand with your own and grasping at it.

 

“Tony, can you hack into the ships on our side?” You asked, your voice sounding a lot more confident that you felt.

 

“Who do you think you’re talking to? Give me five seconds.” He scoffed.

 

“Oh wait, never mind, they’re trying to signal the tower anyway.” He grumped, pressing something on his wrist.

 

A voice filtered through it, a desperate voice.

 

“WarChylde? WarChylde this is your army. We’re with you.”

 

You’d called them to arms without actually considering what that meant. Your army. They were looking to you as their leader, their commander. That meant whatever happened, you were responsible for them. It wasn’t just the fate of the world on your shoulders, it was the fate of thousands of people who’d chosen to follow you. You couldn’t share the weight of this burden with The Avengers, this was solely on you. You approached Tony, leaning over his wrist. You could have spoken from the other side of the room, but you instinctively moved closer to the voice calling out for you.

 

“Thank you.” You whispered.

 

You heard the sigh of relief they let out at the sound of your voice.

 

“What do we do?” They asked thickly, awaiting some kind of guidance.

 

You fought the urge to look at Steve, to seek out his authority. These people had put their faith in you, you didn’t get to shirk the responsibility by hiding behind your dad.

 

“Fall back. There’s a storm coming and you don’t want to get caught up in it. Stay out of the line of fire and when it’s over, get down here and stop the stragglers from attacking Earth. We’ll defend you as well, and when this is over, we will help you, but we need to work together to win first. Can you do that?” You asked.

 

There was silence for a brief moment, and the there was a symphony of voices, all directed at you from all the ships who had mutinied.

 

“We will defend Earth.”

 

“Defend the Earth.”

 

“For WarChylde.”

 

“Onwards to Victory.”

 

“And if anyone see’s Glahn-Betn, tell him WarChylde wants a word.” You added coldly.

 

You stood up and looked around the room, at The Avengers and Asgardians watching you with varying degrees of pride. None more so than Steve. Loki was gazing down at you softly, less proud and more unsurprised. Like he had always known this was who you were.

 

“Well, Cap? This might be my party, but it’s still your house.” You joked, breaking the tension.

 

“What’s left to say? There’s an army coming for us, so lets remind them that this planet is not to be messed with.” Sam grinned.

 

“Hear, hear.” Loki muttered, his lips twitching.  

 

Thor barked out an amused laugh and clapped Loki on the shoulder, making both of you jolt forwards.

 

“Sam’s right. There’s an army up there that thinks they can just fly down here and we’ll roll over without a fight. We’re going to show them how wrong they are. We have the numbers, we have the allies and we have the hero’s. Kid, blow the hell out of them and the rest of us will take care of the rest. I want all the fliers in the sky, call out patterns and movements to the rest of us. Our main priority is keeping the fight here, around the tower. You see any civilians, you send them to safety and then get back to work. Thor’s running the Asgardians and I’m leading The Avengers, you have a problem you tell us.” Steve said firmly, with all the Captain America will and personality you’d come to expect.

 

“What about the Inhumans? There’s dozens of them downstairs waiting, this is just much their fight as it is ours, maybe more so. Who’s running them?” Natasha asked.

 

Steve looked around, pondering it.

 

“Sam, take point on the Inhumans. You aren’t one of them, but you are an Avenger. They’ll listen to you.” Steve decided.

 

“On it Cap.” Sam saluted, making his way over the window and stepping off of the balcony ledge.”

 

You followed Sam and leant over the edge, looking down at the street. It all seemed so far away.

 

“It’s poetic, that you would stand here and use the power of The Tesseract to stop an invasion.” Loki mused, behind you.

 

“That last time wasn’t your fault.” You reminded him.

 

“Perhaps not, but without you, I wouldn’t have had the chance to redeem myself for it.” He whispered.

 

“You were the one who took this path, Mischief. All I did was walk beside you.” You told him.

 

“I was at a crossroads, lost in the dark. You showed me the path, my love. You led the way. Do not discount what you have done for me.” He argued, snaking his arms around your waist.

 

“I did nothing that you didn’t do for me.” You assured, twisting around in his arms to look up at him.

 

The slight breeze ruffled his hair as he looked at you with such affection and love that it made your heart swell. The railing dug into your back as he leant down and slanted his lips over yours, pouring his heart and soul into the kiss.

 

“Destroy them, Kitten.” He whispered against your skin, pecking you on the lips one last time before he stepped away.

 

“As you wish, Mischief.” You smirked.

 

You turned around and took inhaled deeply. Below you New York waited with baited breath to be invaded yet again, and above you, Glahn-Betn was descending. The ships were close enough that you could see them by now, far in the distance, just specs in the skyline for now. If you were going to do this, you had to do it now.

 

If you needed emotion to unlock your powers, then you needed to feel _everything_ and unleash more power than you ever had before. You drowned out all the sounds of the city below you, retreating into yourself until the only thing you could hear was the steady thrum of your heart beating. It was like a drum, a deeply primal sound, steady and strong.

 

Everybody has walls, everybody finds a way to pack things into little boxes into their minds so they aren’t overwhelmed at every moment. You tore down all your walls, shredded every box open and assaulted yourself with every shred of emotion you had ever buried. Good or bad, it didn’t matter. You let your love for Loki flood you, your gratitude for your family, your fear of not being worthy, the stress of having so much weight to bear, your desire for revenge against those who’d wronged you, your hatred for Glahn-Betn, your dread that you might not be able to stop him. You felt it all.

 

The sky above you exploded in a detonation of rippling blue energy, the force of it shaking the whole tower, possibly the whole city. Your whole vison was tinged with blue, the world bleeding sapphire in your eyes. Tesseract energy soared through your veins, shredding your body.

 

And you screamed.

 

It was agony, it hurt unlike anything you had ever felt. It ripped you apart from the atoms up, annihilating you. But it felt **right,** it felt good, it felt like this was how you were supposed to be. And you lost yourself in the pain and the fatefulness of it all, as you rose into the sky, leaving the tower and Earth beneath you.

 

A storm cloud of energy swirled around you, pulsating in time with your every heartbeat.

 

Your eyes locked onto the incoming enemy fleet and your lip curled back over your teeth as you snarled, venom and rage spilling from you.

 

Tesseract energy blanketed the city of New York, covering the sky in a sea of crackling blue that annihilated everything it touched.

 

You pushed every last speck of energy you had into it, hurling your power at the ships, ripping them apart and screaming all the while.

 

You gave your all, until you had nothing left, until you were utterly depleted.

 

And then you were falling, the wind tearing through you as you plummeted back down to Earth.

 

~~~

 

Steve watched the sky light up with your power a sick feeling twisted around his stomach. He was practically vibrating with pride, but he was afraid. Not of you, but for you. He didn’t know what you were becoming or what it meant and that scared him.

 

Power slammed into the oncoming fleet, tearing spaceships apart like they were made of cotton candy, annihilating the invasive forces with ease. And just barely visible, the dark spec in the eye of the storm fell.

 

“Tony!” He screamed desperately.

 

He had been right to be afraid, you had pushed yourself too hard, wiped out too many ships so they had less to deal with, and it had done god knows what to you. The spec got larger as you plummeted, freefalling through the sky and he was helpless to stop it. There was a flash of blue in the corner of his eye and Loki disappeared, reappearing in front of him almost immediately.

 

You were limp in the gods arms, your head lolled to the side, your skin ashen, your eyes closed. He was pulling you from Loki’s arms without hesitation, his fingers on your neck as he searched for a pulse and silently prayed.

 

His prayers went unanswered.

 

You had no pulse.

 

Loki disappeared again but he didn’t have the frame of mind to give a damn as Tony landed next to him, his visor sliding back.

 

“No pulse. She’s not breathing!” Steve gasped.

 

“Move.” Tony snapped, pushing him out of the way.

 

He fell to the side weakly, all the strength in his body gone. Your eyes were closed and it almost, almost looked like you were asleep. But even asleep, you had never looked this… empty.

 

“Stay back.” Tony warned before he pressed the palm of his suit against your chest and your body spasmed.

 

“Shit, ok, again.” Tony hissed.

 

Your spine bowed and your body jerked up as Tony shocked you, trying to force your heart into beating again. He could tell from the desperation and anger on Tony’s face that it wasn’t working. A cold metal hand gripped his shoulder and pulled him back into something solid and he barely registered the fact that Bucky was holding him, trying to comfort him.

 

You looked so small, smaller than you ever had. He must have tried to reach for you because Tony was shoving him back and Bucky was wrapping his arms around him, holding him still. This couldn’t be it, this couldn’t be how you died. He had almost lost you once before, before he even really knew you, but you had lived then and you would live now. You had to live.

 

“Move!” Someone yelled, their voice loud enough to crash through his grief and capture his attention.

 

Loki was thrusting Tony out of the way and kneeling by your side, cradling your face in his hands.

 

“Forgive me Kitten.” The god whispered, pressing his lips to your forehead.

 

“What are you doing?” Someone asked and when Loki looked at him he realised he was the one who had spoken.

 

“What I must.” Loki told him.

 

The was a dagger in the gods hand, raised in the air and too late he realised what was happening.

 

“NO!”

 

Loki plunged the dagger into your heart and the whole world shattered.

 

Anger boiled up in him, a toxic rage that consumed him. You had trusted that bastard, you had fought for him, you had _loved_ him and had just stabbed you in the heart, ensuring you couldn’t be saved. Everything went red and he was seeing everything in fragments, his body acting impulsively.

 

His knuckled were cracked and bleeding, Loki was on the ground below him.

 

“Wanda!” Loki pleaded desperately, swinging out of the way of a metal arm.

 

Tony raised his hand, and he looked over at the gauntlet, recognition sparking in him.

 

_“Ross does have a point. We are resting a lot on her word. Not that I don’t trust her but… are we sure we’re making the right moves here?” Natasha asked, looking at Steve._

_“I trust her. So we need to be ready. And if this is all masterminded by Loki, don’t forget that we have a way to take him down now. We’re prepared for either option and any number of things in between.” Steve reminded her._

_“Thanks to yours truly, and Gandalf the sassy.” Tony chimed in._

_“Speaking of, don’t you need to go?” Sam asked._

_Steve nodded._

_“Strange is expecting us. Wanda’s getting better at getting inside my head.” He said._

_“So we’re ready, for whatever comes next. All we can do now is sit around and wait and hope to hell that Kitten knows what she’s doing.” Sam said._

_“And if she doesn’t, we’ve got this.” Tony said almost gleefully, holding up an Iron Gauntlet._

_“ It’s the perfect marriage of magic and tech. A burst of Strange’s magic, fired by a repulsor. It won’t kill the bastard, but it will bind his magic. Loki will be powerless, long enough for us to capture or kill him.”_

A golden blast of light blinded him and when it cleared he saw Wanda leaning over you, pulling the dagger out, and Loki was lying on the ground, watching you with desperation.

 

“YOU KILLED HER!” Steve screamed.

 

Loki had no magic now, he had no tricks, no way of escape. He had almost forgotten about the weapon they had made when you were lost in space, but he was so glad they’d had the foresight to make it, to use it. You were gone, and Loki was going to regret it.

 

He picked up his Shield and threw it with every ounce of brute strength he possessed, roaring with unrestrained rage as it hurtled towards the defenceless god who wasn’t even looking at him.

 

The air in front of Loki shimmered, and a figure appeared in a blue cloud of energy.

 

Your fingers curled around the edge of the shield, catching it in mid-air.

 

You.

 

Alive.

 

Relief spilled through him, washing away his rage and leaving him weak. His knees buckled as you lowered the shield and glared at him.

 

“How?” He whispered.

 

“He healed me.” You whispered back, frowning.

 

Wanda stood up and held out the dagger she’d pulled from your heart.

 

“An Elixir, that can heal any wound. She’s had it before, but Loki had to find a way to get it into her blood, into her heart. She has absorbed the elixir from Clarius, absorbed it’s healing abilities.” Wanda said reverently.

 

“I didn’t kill her. I made her immortal!” Loki hissed, standing up.

 

The shield smacked into the ground as his words dawned on you and you spun around.

 

“You did _what?_ ” You demanded.

 

“I saw you fall, and your father said that your heart had stopped. I knew I would do anything to heal you, to save you, and then I realized. When they gave you the Elixir before, you swallowed it. If I could get it into your heart, your wonderful heart, then you would absorb it and live.” Loki said gently.

 

He realized the, what had happened. If your heart wasn’t beating, then your blood wasn’t being pumped around your body. The only way to save you, had been to stab you. Loki hadn’t been trying to kill you, he had been trying to keep you alive. He _had_ kept you alive.

  
Forever apparently.

“Loki. I’m sorry.” He said loudly, and he meant it.

 

He had been too hesitant to trust his one time enemy, and he had been wrong. He had been so wrong. Whatever Loki had done in the past, he had come back to make amends, to fight with them. And as your arms curled around the Trickster, he knew that he had no reason to worry about it. Loki loved you, wholeheartedly, and he would do anything to protect you.

 

“I forgive you… _father_.” Loki sarked.

 

It was a mixture of relief and adrenaline and the badly timed jab, but he laughed before he could stop himself. Once they heard Steve laugh, the others couldn’t stop themselves either. You had died and then come back as an immortal being, Loki had lost his magic and Steve had lost his mind, there were still dozens of ship coming for them, allies and enemies alike landing on the ground at this very moment, and the mighty Avengers stood on the balcony of Avengers tower and laughed.

 

~~~

 

Immortal. You were immortal.

 

There was nothing you couldn’t heal now, no injury that could stop you or slow you down. You weren’t sure what that meant as far as aging went, if you would ever get any older or be frozen they way you were now. It was a question for later, because what you were sure of was The Tesseract energy that had been too much for your frail mortal body to contain, was completely under control now.

 

“I am sorry, to give you forever without asking if you wanted it, but I couldn’t let you die.” Loki whispered, his eyes heavy with regret.

 

“If you’re a part of that forever, then I’m grateful, not mad.” You assured him, hopefulness in your voice.

 

Would he want forever? Would he stay with you longer than what he had thought your life was going to be?

 

“I want an eternity with you, to be yours in this life and the next.” He vowed.

 

“Maybe we can put a pin in the romance and deal with the Invasion? You know, the one that’s happening _right now_?” Tony suggested.

 

“Yeah. You missed a few ships doll.” Bucky snorted.

 

You had missed a few, but not enough to take Earth. Enough to worry about though. And you knew there was a good chance that Glahn-Betn had been on one of the one’s you had destroyed, but you sincerely hoped he hadn’t been.

 

“Let’s get back to the plan.” You sighed, resting your head on Loki’s shoulder.

 

“You two have done enough, we’ll take care of this.” Steve said apologetically.

 

You glared at him and shook your head.

 

“No, I’m not finished yet. And you and I are going to have a talk when this is over.” You warned.

 

He nodded in resignation. He’d tried to kill Loki, you didn’t care why.

 

“I will say this first, I love you and I will always try to protect you. But I’m sorry I misjudged him, and I did misjudge him. I know that now.” Steve sighed.

 

Maybe you were being a little harsh. You didn’t know exactly what had happened when you were… well, dead… but you guessed that watching Loki stab you in the heart hadn’t been easy for Steve. And knowing Loki, he hadn’t taken the time to explain what he was doing first. You were about to detach yourself from Loki, when he shoved you away and sent you stumbling into Steve’s arms.

 

Steve caught you and wrapped his arms around you while Loki looked away innocently, acting like he hadn’t done anything. You shook with silent laughter, wrapping your arms around Steve and shaking your head.

 

“Dad, I love you too.” You whispered.

 

“Aww, cute, but again… _there’s a fucking invasion happening!_ ” Tony objected.

 

“Yeah, yeah, we get it.” Steve scoffed as you separated.

 

You gave Loki one last loving glance before you winked at Tony and disappeared.

 

You reappeared on the streets below to Tower and laughed as Loki griped at you through the comms. A large group of aliens were walking towards you, slowing as they approached. You didn’t slow, you unsheathed Mischief and raised a questioning eyebrow at them. As one, they raised their arms, fists clenched and wrists bare. They’d removed their wristbands, and your skin itched from the memory of where your own had once sat.

 

“We’re with you.” One of them stepped forward to say.

 

Her eyes widened at something behind you and you flipped Mischief in your hand and spun around, the blade sliding out and dragging through the stomach of some poor sod who’d thought he could get the drop on you. You neatly stepped to the side as his corpse crashed into the ground and skid along the road, green blood leaving a stain on the pavement.

 

You retracted the blade and slipped your weapon back into it’s sheath, nodding at the troops as you walked past them.

 

“Carry on.” You instructed, winking at the woman who’d addressed you.

 

You heard them disperse behind you, fanning out to take to the streets and defend New York. You kept walking, kept searching, occasionally dispatching an attacker or greeting an ally. You eventually ran into a larger group of soldiers, one’s till wearing their wristbands. You spotted them moments after they spotted you but you didn’t even have time to turn around and face the cluster of enemies running towards you, they were all sent scattering through the air by a shockwave.

 

“Quake. I’m a big fan!” You smirked, waving at the woman who’d just obliterated your attackers.

 

“Thanks, and same. I mean, I’m a big fan as well. Hey, do you have a name yet?” She asked, shooting at something down the street.

 

“Yeah, I do. It’s WarChylde.”

“Awesome. Is it just me or are some of these aliens fight _for_ us?” She asked.

 

“Anyone not wearing a wristband is on our side.” You confirmed.

 

“So these guys aren’t coming to say hi then?” She snorted, gesturing to a band of warriors hurtling towards the two of you.

 

“No, they aren’t.” You sighed, raising your arm and the same time she raised hers.

 

“Oh, sorry. Go ahead.” You said quickly, putting your hand down.

 

“No, after you.” She said politely.

 

“Please, I insist, after you.” You offered as they got closer.

 

“Together?” She suggested.

 

You grinned at her and nodded, putting your hand back up.

 

“On three?” You asked.

 

“1…2…3!”

 

The quake blast rippled through The Tesseract energy, scattering it. The force of her blast and yours hit the group and the result was… messy, but effective.

 

“Nice!” You said in unison.

 

She held up her fist and you took the proffered fistbump.

 

“Have you got this? I have to go look-up an old friend.” Walking backwards.

 

“Go, between the Avengers, The Inhumans, Shield and the alien allies, we’ve got this on lock.” She assured.

 

You nodded your thanks and jogged away. She wasn’t wrong, everywhere you looked you could see the enemy getting their asses very much handed to them.  No matter what happened now, this Invasion had failed.

 

“Baby Cap, if the guy you’re looking for is Big’n’Blue and has a chip on his shoulder, I think I’ve spotted him.” Clint said in your ear.

 

“That sounds about right.” You huffed.

 

“Turn right, he’s three blocks East, crawling out of a half destroyed spaceship and yelling your name at the top of his voice.” Clint sniggered.

 

“On it Hawkeye.” You assured, breaking into a run.

 

“Kick his ass, babygirl.” Sam encouraged.

 

“Destroy him.” Wanda added.

 

“Go get him, kiddo.” Tony said.

 

You saw him as soon as you rounded the corner, his axe slicing through a line of mutineers.

 

“Hey! If you have a problem, I suggest you take it up with me!” You roared.

 

He froze in place, his head slowly turning to look as you as you stalked towards him. You could feel the rage emanating from him in waves. You had stolen half his army and obliterated what was left, he had every reason to hate you, but you had more reasons to hate him.

“WarChylde.” He laughed, he actually threw his head back and roared with laughter.

 

“I admit, I was worried I wouldn’t get the chance to face you again. But here you are, seeking me out because you know as well as I do that this ends with us. It was always us, wasn’t it? From the moment I saw you fight in the arena, I knew, I wanted the chance to battle you. Death comes so easy to so many and I have longed for a challenge.” He crooned.

 

“If you wanted a challenge, you came to the right planet, but you’ll regret it. You want a victory, you can prise it from my cold dead hands. But that means you have to kill me first.” You told him coldly.

 

“You think I wont do it?” He smirked.

 

“I think you _can’t_ do it.” You snarled.

He looked delighted by your challenge. You laughed under your breath and turned away from him, looking up at Avengers tower in the distance. You smiled softly at the beacon of hope and raised your arm and shot a blast of energy at him.

 

He was shocked but not enough to not react in time, ducking under the blast and tossing his axe at you in turn. You caught the weapon by the handle and flipped it around, swinging it at him as he advanced. He leaped into the air and brought his foot down on the flat of the blade, slamming it into the ground at the same millisecond he backhanded you.

 

You flew back, slamming onto the bonnet of an abandoned car.

 

“What are you?” He demanded, kicking the axe into the air and catching it.

 

“What I am, is immortal you big blue son of a bitch.” You scoffed.

 

He swung the axe at you and you ducked, realising too late it was a bluff. His hand snaked out and wrapped around your ankle, pulling you down the hood of the car and the blade of his axe sliced down towards your exposed throat. Your hands shot up, wrapping around the handle as you pushed it back, pushing against his strength.

“There are worse fates than death. You may survive, but I can still chop you into pieces. Perhaps I will keep your head, and make you watch as I conquer the universe.” He snapped.

 

“Dude, there are easier ways to make friends.” You huffed, straining with the effort of holding back the axe.

 

Inch by inch, it descended, until the blade was pressed against your throat and you could feel your blood trickling down into your hair. He was right when he said there were worse fates than death, if you were going to lose your head you’d rather it killed you. Your arms shook with the effort of holding him off and it wasn’t enough, and he knew it. His sneer was wide and mocking and it made your blood boil. You let go of the axe with one hand and put a herculean effort into holding it back, desperately scrambling to unsheathe one of your daggers. He saw what you were doing and chuckled, until you tossed it into the air. You smirked at him, and teleported out from underneath him, reappearing in the air above him where you caught the dagger and stabbed it into his unprotected back.

 

He hissed in pain and ripped the axe out of the car and swung it blindly behind him, narrowly missing your torso.

 

“How are you delusional enough to think you can still win this? Even if you beat me, your army is decimated or turned, your allies on this planet are dead. We have the numbers, we have the warriors, we have the allies and you have nothing!” You snarled, catching his oncoming fist in your hand and striking him in the chest with your own fist.

 

He threw his full body weight at you, knocking you to the ground. Your back slammed painfully into the concrete, knocking the wind out of you long enough for him to press his knee into your ribs and pin you down.

 

“This isn’t about winning anymore WarChylde, this is about the fight!” He crowed, his eyes lit up with ferocious delight.

 

His fist slammed down into you unprotected face and you laughed. Loki had told you that all Glahn-Betn wanted to do was fight, and now you understood. He’d been tearing the universe apart in search of something that could provide a challenge for him. He’d been looking for you.

 

You braced yourself for his next blow, even as the damage from his last one healed and then he was torn off of you and you could breath properly again without his knee on your chest. You heaved and turned onto you side, coughing as your lungs readjusted.

 

“Well if it isn’t the bastard prince, come to save his lover.” Glahn-Betn mocked and you looked up in alarm.

 

Loki had his arm around Glahn-Betn’s neck, holding him down and the Kree was holding a dagger back from plunging into his heart. Loki looked up his eyes meeting yours and smirked.

 

“She doesn’t need saving, but I’m afraid we must insist on having a hand in your death.” Loki said.

 

And he let go of the dagger, and the eyes you were looking into were red. Loki’s Jotun form wasn’t hidden away with magic evidently, because he seamlessly slipped into his natural form. Glahn-Betn tore himself away from Loki, ripping free of his hold, and you could see the blackened and frozen skin around his throat. But Loki had said ‘we’, and you realized what he meant when something whizzed past you, whipping your hair around your face. The Shield slammed into Glahn-Betn’s chest, knocking him back several feet and you could hear the satisfying crunch when Vibranium met bone.

 

“You are, as we say on this planet, utterly fucked.” You taunted, rising to your feet, looking back at your father as he recalled the shield and caught it.

 

Steve smiled softly at you and you affectionately saluted him.

 

“Shall we my love?” Loki asked.

 

You looked down at Glahn-Betn, even with broken ribs and a broken throat the bastard was still pulling himself to his feet.

 

“We shall.” You said coldly.

 

Loki stalked over to the Kree warrior who didn’t seem to realise he was defeated until the God of Mischief lay hands on him. Frost crackled from Loki’s palms, covering Glahn-Betn and freezing him in place as you ran towards them, leaping into the air and catching the Shield as your dad tossed it to you.

 

You saw the defeat and terror, the knowledge that he was finished, the resignation and anger in Glahn-Betn’s eyes before the ice reached them. You swung the shield down with the full force of your strength, slamming it into the frozen figure.

 

The crash was ear splitting as Glahn-Betn splintered, the broken shards exploding outward in a storm of ice. Loki had killed him, and you had obliterated his corpse.

 

The shield clanged against the ground as you dropped it and reached for your god, letting him pull you close. The blue began to recede from his skin as his head tilted towards you.

 

“Don’t.” You whispered.

 

He paused, clenching his jaw.

 

“This form can’t hurt me, because of you, and I love you Mischief, in every form.” You promised him.

 

Blue lips enveloped yours, and your skin froze and healed over and over again but you didn’t feel it, you didn’t care.

 

You had your man, you had your family, you had your army. Victory was yours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right... um, well... I'll just be hiding far away if anyone comes looking for me.


	33. The Final Chapter

 

“Arrest them, both of them!”

 

You rolled your eyes at Secretary Ross as he huffed and puffed, storming across the blown out lobby of the tower as soon as he spotted you, Loki and Steve.

 

“Calm your trumped up little self-down and think this through Rossy.” You scoffed.

 

“You’re war criminals, both of you!” He snarled.

 

“Not without a trial we aren’t. But nobody needs a trial to know that you’re the asshole who let Hydra worm their way into the UN. Word on the street is, you don’t have any power anymore, which is why you’re screaming for out arrest and nobody is lifting a finger to obey you.” You said, facing him down.

 

He turned the most impressive shade of red you had ever seen outside of a cartoon.

 

“You will have to face the music _kitten_ or whatever ridiculous nickname they’re calling you these days, you and your villainous boyfriend.” He snapped.

 

“In that case… I quit.” You shrugged.

 

“You think quitting The Avengers will get you out of this?” He asked derisively.

 

“I’m not quitting the Avengers, I will never quit The Avengers.” You vowed.

 

“She’s quitting Earth.” Steve whispered.

 

He smiled sadly and nodded at you. He knew what you were thinking, what you had to do.

 

“By the way Ross, they’re calling me WarChylde these days.” You whispered, grabbing a hold of him and disappearing with him.

 

When you reappeared, alone, a few seconds later, Loki was leaning casually against a cracked wall with a sinister smirk and Steve looked like he was torn between laughing and banging his head against the wall.

 

“Where is he?” Your dad sighed.

 

“Abandoned Shield base in the arctic. He needed to cool off, but he’ll be fine.” You grinned.

 

“What did he mean, you’re quitting the Earth?!” Tony demanded.

 

The Avengers, and a few dozen Asgardians and Inhumans came filing inside the destroyed building.

 

“There’s a few thousand people out there who backed me when I needed them. They didn’t have to do that. I owe them, and I’m responsible for them. That’s my army now, and I need to find a place for them. I need to give them… I need to give them Asylum.” You explained wistfully.

 

“So you’re upping and leaving us?” Sam asked, distraught.

 

“Dude, I can fucking teleport, chances are, you’ll see _more_ of me!” You laughed.

 

Thor sidled up next to you, looking between you and Loki pointedly.

 

“Well, obviously I will be going with her.” Loki scoffed, like it wasn’t even a question.

 

“I had figured. That was not what I was wondering.” Thor said brightly.

 

“Then what, brother?” Loki sighed.

 

“I was wondering about the deal.” Thor elaborated.

 

“Wait, what deal?” Steve asked.

 

Time to come clean. You knew this would not go down well.

 

“Father said he made a deal, to help The Earth. The Warriors and I have taken bets on it, but we all agree that it had something to do with her.” Thor explained.

 

“Odin agreed to give us his soldiers, if I agreed to give him the Tesseract when it was over.” You sighed.

 

“You agreed to do what?” Loki hissed.

 

“Loki, you don’t need it. We don’t need it, and Asgard’s forces saved our ass. It was worth it.” Tony cut in quickly.

 

“I don’t care about the cube. What exactly was the deal you made?” He demanded.

 

“I swore that I would hand over all the power of The Tesseract to the protection of Asgard, if Odin gave us soldiers and he pardoned you.” You whispered.

 

“You ARE the power of The Tesseract!” Loki roared.

 

“I know.” You breathed.

 

Your confession rocked through The Avengers, shocking them to the core.

 

“No.” Steve whispered, horrified.

 

“How could you be so foolish? He tricked you into handing yourself over!” Loki raged.

 

“No. I will not allow this, I will talk to father.” Thor blurted, trying to calm his brother.

 

“No you won’t Thor. My deal with Odin stands.” You said firmly.

 

Loki looked like you just hit him.

 

“How could you do this?” He pleaded, trying to understand.

 

You sighed heavily and shook your head, and then slowly, you smirked.

 

“In accordance with my deal with the Allfather, I WarChylde, hand myself and The Tesseract over to the protection of Loki, Prince of **_Asgard_**.” You said pompously, kneeling on the ground before Loki, proffering The Tesseract up to him.

 

His jaw ticked in annoyance as it all sunk in and he batted The Tesseract out of your hand and sent it away, glowering at you.

 

“You let Odin think he was tricking you, all the while you were tricking him?” He snapped.

 

“Lil bit.” You sniggered.

 

“You think he will let this stand?” Loki hissed.

 

“Thor?” You asked.

 

“Oh, since Father isn’t here, I am his proxy… The deal is complete, she held up her end of the bargain. It is done.” Thor said cheerfully, his wide grin nearly splitting his face.

 

“Dare I say, I believe the lady has out tricked the trickster.” Sif smirked.

 

You laughed and stood up.

 

“Mischief, meet your match.” You teased.

 

He positively growled and pulled you into him, kissing you like you weren’t in a room full of friends and family. He kissed you until your head spun and you were breathless, and then he kept kissing you, because he could.

 

Glahn-Betn had been defeated.

 

Earth had been saved.

 

Ross had been dealt with.

 

Odin had been tricked.

 

And you and Loki had an eternity of adventures to look forward to, together.

 

All was truly well.

 

~~~One Year Later~~~

 

The sky at dawn was truly a sight to behold on Asylum. Early morning sun filtered through the electric green sky, lighting it up with rays of gold. It was fitting, that the sky of this world would shine so brightly in the colours of her King. Loki stood on the wide stone balcony of the freshly built palace, enjoying the sunrise, looking out over his Kingdom.

 

It had not been easy, to rebuilt a world that had been torn down, to make it a home for broken people. But he had done it, he was still doing it. Every day brought new challenges, and he relished in each one. Asylum had once been a safe place for the manic and depraved, and now, it was a safe harbour for those who sought refuge from terror and war. This planet was home to the largest army, but nobody was ever forced to fight. It was a choice, one that anybody was free to make. Those who sought refuge on this world were given it. Asylum was home to the outcasts, the broken, the homeless, the unwanted, the scared, the lost. Every day people would arrive from all corners of the universe, looking for a peaceful home, a new beginning and Loki, King of Asylum would grant it. And if they came seeking justice against those who had torn their homes from them, then WarChylde would grant that.

 

He was King, and you were the Commander, but you were also his Queen and he was your General. You worked in perfect tandem, a true partnership.

 

Between his Kingly duties and your role as the Commander of what was now the largest army in the galaxy, life was busy. Throw in the Bifrost, your abilities and The Tesseract and it was even busier. You and he would often end up back on Earth, fighting alongside the Avengers. At almost any given moment in time, Asylum had visitors from Earth or Asgard. He was very rarely alone these days, he had been pleasantly surprised to learn that he had friends.  

 

James Barnes, the Widow or lady Sif would often be there, helping you to train your new recruits. James would come to visit Loki just as often as he would visit you, especially if you were off-world without him. His new friend and he had much in common, and James was someone with a quick wit and a penchant for mischief. They made quite a pair, much to your annoyance.

 

Stark was constantly visiting and upgrading something or another. Communication between the worlds had become so easy it was almost like sorcery. What you so fondly called the Stargate was fully operational, an almost permanently open door between Avengers Tower and The Palace on Asylum. The excess Tesseract energy funnelled into the power grid safely, thanks to Stark and Banner, and Princess Shuri. Stark had even taken Pepper for a vacation at one point, and Loki was positively astounded by the grace and beauty she possessed. He and Stark often wondered how exactly they had both managed to get such wonderful woman to fall in love with them.

 

Wanda came to visit at least twice a week and had her own rooms, so Loki often ran into her or Vision when he was least expecting it. Loki had taken it upon himself to tutor her in the ancient arts and found her to be an eager and excited student. So close was she with you both, that the people had taken to affectionately calling her ‘Princess Wanda’, which you wholeheartedly encouraged since it made the young witch blush.  

 

Sam Wilson had helped you both to make it easier for the new citizens of Asylum to adjust, to smooth the transition from soldier to civilian for those who didn’t want to fight anymore. His people all had trauma, and he did whatever he had to do to ensure they found peace.

 

Thor split his time equally between Asylum and Midgard. He would help you stop skirmishes on far away planets as often as he fought with the Avengers, but not nearly as often as he would talk with Loki and help him rule over his new Kingdom. The brother he once was jealous of had become his trusted advisor and confidant.

 

The Archer, Clint, had eventually sat down to listen to Loki’s side of things and while they may never be close friends, there had been forgiveness. The Widow was more inclined to offer him her alliances, she knew what it was to be on the wrong side of the bloodshed.

 

One of the more surprising visitors had been a ghost, a spectre from his past. Agent Phil Coulson, a man he had killed. Apparently, the murder hadn’t quite stuck. Agent Coulson had been less inclined for forgiveness, but that was understandable. However, he did have an interesting proposition, one that after careful consideration, Loki agreed to. Asylum now boasted a startlingly large Inhuman population. A percentage of Earth’s Inhumans had petitioned for citizenship of Asylum, at ‘Quake’s’ encouragement. They were safe here, free to be themselves without persecution.

 

And Odin… Odin had attended his coronation as a show of support, had clapped for him when the crown was placed atop his head. His father had come to him with a peace treaty, offering an alliance with Asgard. There was still a thousand years of resentment, but bridges were now being built rather than burned.  

 

And your father… The Captain had never stopped trying to make amends for taking Loki’s magic that day. It had returned in a matter of hours, but Steve still handed the weapon over to be destroyed. He had come to Asylum for months, helping you build your new society. Even now, while he was worlds away and running his Avengers, the two of you spoke every day. He would even insist on talking to Loki, ‘checking in’ to make sure his son-in-law was alright.

 

If he lived for another ten thousand years or ten million, he would remember the day you became his wife with clarity. It had been the most transcendentally happy day of his life. The ceremony itself had been a perfect blend of Asgardian and Midgardian customs.

 

_Blue grass swayed in the breeze as he waited with bated breath for you to arrive, to come and bind yourself to him for eternity._

_“Be still Loki, she will be here soon and you don’t want her to see you hopping around. She may change her mind.” Thor teased._

_He glared at his oafish brother as his heart leapt into his throat and Thor immediately looked solemn, clasping him on the shoulder._

_“She won’t change her mind. She loves you, remember that. She crossed the universe and faced down Odin for you, there’s nothing that could ever stop her from marrying you today.” Thor said sagely._

_“I know. I know, I’m not nervous.” Loki lied._

_He was terrified. He was on the cusp of having everything he had ever dreamt of and more and he could not bear to have it taken away from him._

_“Pal, that dame’s got it bad for you. I promise you, she’s coming, ok?” James assured, clasping his other shoulder._

_“Then where is she?” He hissed._

_“Honestly? They’re probably still trying to talk her into wearing the dress instead of her super-suit.” James scoffed._

_The Widow and The Witch stepped onto the grass and he straightened as they walked towards him. They were smiling, that must mean good news, it must mean you were behind them… surely they would not smile when coming to tell him you’d changed your mind, that you’d finally realized he was unworthy of your love._

_And then any doubt he’d been thinking were forcibly knocked out of him, in fact all thought were._

_Because you were walking towards him, arm in arm with your father. You were the most beautifully, radiant creature he had ever laid eyes upon, and he couldn’t help but smile at what you had chosen to wear. Instead of the traditional white wedding dress of your people, you were wearing an Emerald Green Gown. Your eyes found his and the smile that lit up your face was brighter than any sun and Steve had to tug you back with a chuckle as you all but tried to run to him. It somehow took both an eternity and less than a second until you were stood in front of him._

_“Hey Mischief.” You whispered._

_“Hello Kitten.” He whispered back._

_Instead of handing you off, The Captain opted to tug Loki’s hand up and carefully place yours in it before he kissed you on the cheek and stood aside before he faced the people gathered there._

_“We are gathered here today, not just to join these two kids in holy matrimony. We’re here to join two worlds together, and to accept a new member into our messed up little family. Loki was the first villain that The Avengers Assembled to fight, without him we wouldn’t exist. There was more going on that day than we knew, and the truth finally came to light so we know now that’s he’s not the bad guy, he’s not a bad guy at all actually, once you get to know him. Bit of an ego, but that just makes him fir right in. Kit brought him to us and showed us that he was more than we had been led to believe, she opened the door for him. But Loki was the one that walked through it, and changed Earths perception of him. He fought with us and had a hand in saving us, in fact, without him we wouldn’t have even seen Glahn-Betn coming. He was never a villain, but he was a hero. He is a hero. He got what he needed, a second chance and that could have been enough, but every time we need him, he comes right back to fight with us again. Loki, you might be marrying into this family, but that’s not the reason you’re one of us. You are now, and always will be, an Avenger.”_

He was snapped out of his recollection by your soft whimpers behind him. He was by your side in a flash, leaning over you. You were asleep still and he thought at first you were having a nightmare until you pouted in your sleep and kicked the covers off. You were too warm he realised and with a chuckle he slid into Jotun form and cooled the air around you.

 

“Mischief?” You murmured sleepily.

 

“Yes, Kitten, I am here.” He assured softly.

 

You sat up with a wince, reaching out for him, your other hand cradling your swollen belly. Yes, he truly had everything he could possibly want, he truly had it all. And then nine months ago, you’d told him he would be getting something else, another wondrous joy. Fatherhood.  

 

“It’s time.” You whispered.

 

**~~~The End~~~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Oh wow, posting the final chapter to this was so bittersweet. This has been a hell of a journey, and I am so grateful that all of you deigned to join me on this roller-coaster ride! 
> 
> So as we wish a Happily Ever After to King Mischief and Queen Kitten, I have to thank everyone who read, liked and commented on this fic, and made writing this such an enjoyable experience for me. You guys are amazing, and I love every single one of you. 
> 
> Bon Voyage MMYM, I’m off on The Highway To Hell ;)


End file.
